The Unknown Son 2: Ultimate Payback
by Sith Master2019
Summary: While Mara Jade searches for those still loyal to dead Emperor Palpatine Luke and his father Vader, ruling the galaxy side by side discover Leia is Vader's daughter...
1. Kallisto Alecto?

**_Oh my god, I want to thank everyone for the reviews on Master and Apprentice: The Unknown Son. I had over forty reviews which I am very happy for, I have never really got over thirty reviews on any one fan fiction. So of course here is Unknown Son's sequel. There were two Mara Jade haters (I think) that read the last one, I hope this changes your opinion on Mara. Note though that Kallisto is a Greek name for someone who loved and had a child with the god Zues. Alecto is another character I have now, Alecto is also Greek. It is the name of one of the three furies who worked for I believe Hades god of the underworld. Well here is the sequel, enjoy. And review! Oh and thanks Darth Gladiator 45 for helping me think of a title for this because I was totally lost, and frankly thats wierd because I can usually think up titles for fic like that (snaps fingers) and so I dedicate my first chapter to you, I also thank Draven Star for reviewing my last one, some of your tips, believe it or not did come in handy. So I shall dedicate chapter 2 to you. I'll say that right here not in chapter 2 however._**

Chapter 1: Kallisto… Alecto?

A Day After the Last Chapter in The Unknown Son

Based on a tip from the bartender she had killed a day earlier on the planet Tatooine Mara Jade sat in the cockpit of a ship she had bought a while ago, headed to Cato Neimoidia. It was an older class, one that pirates might use, a Z-95 headhunter. It was based off the simple design of the X-wing only this ship only had two wings. It was nimble, but fast and it could hold its own in combat; however it was very easily shot down. Mara preferred its bubble like cockpit to other ships she had flown before. She glanced down at the hyperspace monitor. According to its calculation her ship would arrive over Cato Neimoidia in, twelve seconds. The bar tender had told her about some woman named Kallisto, she was supposed to have a small base on Cato Neimoidia, and the only reason Mara was bothering to search for it was to find someone with contacts to the remnants of the forces of the Empire who were still loyal to Palpatine. He was dead now, slain by Darth Ravan, the apprentice of the new Emperor, Darth Vader, and she had learned only recently Ravan was actually Vader's son. There was some burning hatred she had for him now, after he had killed the Emperor and left her with nothing. And no, there was no way she was going to join up with a traitor. She wanted to kill him, but she needed help. And who knows? Maybe she could kill Vader as well and get a new Emperor on the throne. Not her of course, but someone. Though that thinking was somewhat premature, she needed help to kill Vader and his son. That's were those still loyal to Palpatine came in.

Finally the hyperspace counter reached zero and the star lines shrank into distant dots. The planet of Cato Neimoidia glowed green and brown ahead of her. It was nearly abandoned now; all the Nemodians had left, vanishing into the outer rim and beyond, ashamed of Nute Gunray, or scared of what might have happened to them after the Clone Wars. This was the perfect place for a smuggler. Mara pulled the throttle and sped her ship up, flicking on the scanners to find any sign of near technology. There was a huge palace, glowing faintly with electronics, but those could be left over from when the Nemodians still inhabited the place. She ruled it out. A smugglers base would probably be smaller.

Indeed, she found something that looked promising. In the middle of the forest it seemed. A few clustered buildings, probably an old village, were glinting blue with a bit of technology. That was as promising as anything. Mara's ship broke the atmosphere and began descending down to the jungles Cato Neimoidia held. She set her course for about a mile or so away from the base she had found. She'd rather sneak towards it and then come out. From her experience people with secret business didn't like to just be dropped in on.

She found a small hill top to land on, it was treeless and dead. It could have possibly been scarred from a turbo laser blast in orbit, but Mara didn't understand why it would be a hill. She landed her ship on it and hopped out. Taking a few supplies out of the cargo bay as well as her blaster, which she holstered on her upper left shoulder, and her lightsaber the Emperor had given her to train with almost half a year ago when the farm boy came into her life. Hard to believe she had only been sixteen. She was now seventeen, her birthday a few months ago, she thought, for she never actually remembered the Emperor telling her directly when it was. And the farm boy probably was too.

She shook the thoughts out of her red head. Anger, no fury, with Ravan Skywalker, or Luke his birth, name would just cloud her judgment right now. If she was fighting him at the moment she would give into her anger, but she wasn't and she had somewhat of a hike ahead of her.

XxX

Cato Neimoidia's jungles were dense, very dense and full of plants that would irritate a human's skin. No wonder Nemodias were green and lumpy. Mara had to use her lightsaber to blaze a trail, which worried her because if she was being followed, or would be followed anytime, her stalker would have an easy trail. As the plants and underbrush grew less and less packed she knew she was coming near an end to the forest. Indeed she could see light ahead of her through the gaps of the vine strewn trees. And she could also see buildings that looked like they were made of golden mud bricks. Mara shut off her lightsaber crouching low. She was wearing a camouflage suit that held the pattered of long grass and vines. It would be a big help.

She crept nearer to the edge of the tree line, finally dropping to her stomach when she came to the end. Hiding behind a bush she looked out. There were about five buildings total, the biggest was two stories high and about no longer than maybe two Coruscanti ground diners connected, it was about as wide as a Corellian corvette so it was pretty big, most likely a command center of some sort. Men and women wearing mismatched armor and camouflage walked around it, each carrying some type of weapon. People came in and out of the other buildings as well. Mara risked a change of positions, and for the better. She got a clear view down the square in the middle of the buildings. Behind it, just beyond the first line of trees in a noticeable clearing were several ships, a well sized cargo transport, about half the size of a Corellian Corvette, as well as ten or so Z-95 Headhunters, and three Skipray Blastboats, an impressive arsenal of ships for a small smuggler outpost.

Now was as good a time as any to make an appearance. But still Mara was worried, she doubted the smugglers would like it either if a strange woman armed to the teeth just popped out of the forest and walked straight into the command center to speak with their leader Kallisto. Luckily, a medium height, medium build man rounded the corner of the building closest to her right, walking very slowly and gazing at a datapad, he was mere inches away from the line or trees. Mara brought herself into a crouch slowly and inched to the side of the bush she was behind. The man was to immersed in the information the datapad held to notice her.

As soon as his foot was in reach she pushed out her leg and tripped him. He fell to the ground, before he could get back on his feet Mara grabbed him by the neck and held her hand firmly over his mouth. She dragged him into the brush swiftly and, walked him a good four feet back from the edge of the trees. She turned him to her quickly and shoved him against a vine covered trunk of a tall thick tree.

"What the hell are you doing?" He cried as she took her hand off his mouth.

"Hi, my name is Mara. Are you having a nice day? I sure hope so because I sure as hell am not." Mara snapped. She pulled back her sleeve, while she had someone captive she could at least toy with them. As her sleeve came back it revealed a very red and swollen rash on her right arm. "See this? I got it while I was crawling around."

"Woman, do I look like I give a flip about the rash on your arm? Let me go!"

"Ooh, a bit hasty aren't we? Well I'll make you a deal. Take me to your leader and I'll let you go."

"No deal."

Mara sighed, now she had to do it the hard way. Keeping one arm firmly on the man's neck she reached with her free arm and pulled out her blaster pistol, sticking the barrel into the man's sweaty cheek.

"I'll kill you here."

"They'll hear you."

"It's silenced."

For the first time since she had rammed him into the tree and began talking she saw a hint of fear in his eyes.

"And no one will ever know what happened to you. I'll take everything you have and throw your body into a river." Mara added.

"Fine." The man spat, trying to seem braver than he was. "Let me go and I'll take you to our leader."

"Thank you for seeing it my way. Hold on a moment." Mara said politely reaching for a pair of stun cuffs she had.

"Why do I need those?"

"It's my insurance policy, so you won't run off."

The man muttered something under his breath as Mara bound his hands behind his back and led him out of the woods. Mara stuck to tip of her blaster barrel to the middle of the man's back. No one paid the slightest mind to them; everyone seemed so busy that they mistook the man leading Mara with his hands simply clasped behind his back. The man inclined his head to the tall building. Mara edged him on. They reached the door which opened automatically into a big lounge. A few people were walking around it. All of them paid no attention to Mara or the cuffed man, save one woman. She sat in the middle of the lounge on a red chair, feet up on a table. She was completely dressed in black, wearing a skin tight shirt, which looked like half of a cat suit, and loosely fitting pants. Holding them up was a belt with a small blaster pistol holstered onto it. She also wore leather boots, and over everything she wore a shiny leather jacket. If Mara had seen her on Coruscant she might have thought she was a death stick dealer.

She had a pale white face, and long midnight black hair tied into a ponytail which ran down to her butt. Mara saw a few random braids in it as well as two just above her ears, pulling back in a cornrow. Both of her ears were pierced and she wore two single golden bands on them. She looked up at Mara, then to the man. Mara inserted her blaster back in its holster. The woman narrowed her eyes.

"Who is this red head?" She asked in an accent which made her I's sound like E's, and she rolled her R's. "Moron, why did you bring her here?"

"He had no choice." Mara replied to the woman's question, she unclipped the man's stun cuffs and put them back on her belt, while delivering a swift kick to his rear end. He fell into the table the woman had been resting her feet on a moment ago, it crashed to the floor. He stood up and cursed Mara, all the while the woman laughed.

She turned her head to him. "Get out of here."

Reluctantly the man nodded and left. The woman turned her head back to Mara.

"On second thought, I like you." She said. "My name's Alecto, what can I do for you."

"You're not Kallisto!" Mara cried in anger. She turned and kicked a chair over. All that hiking and skulking for nothing.

"Calm down woman!" Alecto cried. "I work for Kallisto, I'm her second in command."

"Well where is she?"

"She is in the old capitol palace. That's where she does her business."

"Can you please give me the coordinates? I am in a really bad mood."

"Oh, no, no, no, no. You want to speak with Kallisto, you got to do me a favor, that's the way I work."

"Phf. I might as well just go to the palace myself."

"De auto turrets would shoot you down. They can only be deactivated with a code. Otherwise you'll be cooking until your ash in your ship."

"What kind of favor do you want me to do?" Mara asked, or more so growled. Alecto smiled, and began to tell her.

**_Also I do not own any character you see from the star wars universe. Weather Timothy Zahn created (Mara) them or George Lucas did. However Alecto and Kallisto, when she comes in are mine. As is Xen but she isn't in this fic is she? No I am actually asking you people that question because I have no idea. Is Xen in this fic? Probably not, just wanna know how many of you actually know who Xen is._**


	2. Emperor, Son, Daughter

**_Chapter number two. I wanted to keep Leia in and alive and I am going to do a side plot with her and Vader. Also this story is going to be mostly centered on Luke and Mara Jade (hopefully, unless I take it into a different direction. Don't know, not that far yet. We'll see.) With one of them being the main character in a chapter. _**

Chapter 2: Emperor, Son, Daughter…

Darth Ravan stood at Vader's old place aboard the bridge of the super star destroyer _Executor. _He awaited news from Admiral Piett on a blood test from Leia Organa. The DNA techs as they were called seemed to have found a significant difference in Leia's blood records from those of Bail Organa's. It was all an accident of how they discovered this. Blood samples are taken of each prisoner. Bail Organa's was taken and recorded by the same man who recorded Leia's, luckily he had a good memory and thought it was weird that Leia and Bail had different blood types. They further expanded on this and discovered Leia was not actually related, biologically, to Bail at all. They were now entering her DNA code into the Imperial data base to find a match.

Ravan felt Admiral Piett's presence enter the bridge, he turned as the Admiral walked over the crew pit and came to him, bowing when he got there.

"Milord," Piett said. "We have the results from the database back and…"

"And?" Ravan asked irritated.

"We may want to speak of this somewhere more private."

"Alright." Ravan said, not quite seeing Piett's angle. He followed the Admiral off the bridge and both walked into the nearest turbo lift to talk, not actually going up or down.

"Yes, what are the results?" Ravan asked eagerly.

"We entered Leia's DNA makeup in the Imperial database. It is closely related with only two other recorded specimens. It closely resembles… Emperor Vader's… and your own."

Ravan felt as though he had just been slapped in the face, repeatedly. Leia was related to him, was he so blind as to not see that? Was Vader that blind, was the old Emperor that blind? This worried him. He looked at Piett and tried to speak but found he could not. He tried once more and finally his voice came to him in a horse whisper.

"Ours? She… she's related to us?" Ravan croaked. "Do you know the… _extent_?"

"Her genetic makeup is so close to yours milord, and her age is within a minute of yours as well from what we could determine. We believe you are related, twins…."

"TWINS! She is my sister?" Ravan asked in shock. How could he not see that? How could he not have even felt a similarity?

"It would seem so."

"Who knows about this?"

"You, myself, Emperor Vader, and the DNA tech that preformed the match test."

"Kill him. Kill anyone he has talked to after he did the test. Word cannot get out."

"As you wish milord."

"Do it subtly Admiral. Make it look like an accident, an experiment that exploded or something."

"I will milord."

"I have to go contact my father."

XxX

"I know Lord Ravan!" Vader finally snapped after Ravan continued talking away about Leia. Admiral Piett had already alerted him as well as killed the DNA techs personally. Ravan looked down, and then up at his father's hologram.

"What should we do? Kill her?"

"Not if we can help it. She knows nothing yet, correct?"

"Nothing father."

Vader paced in and out of the hologram a few times, clearly in deep thought, Ravan was silent, and the only sound was the slight hum of the hologram and Vader's breathing. Finally he came back into focus.

"If she is truly your sister perhaps we should try to turn her, she can undoubtedly use the Force."

"After what we let Sidious do to Bail? I think she might be about ready to kill us."

"It would be suicide, think rationally Ravan. She would not attempt to kill us. She would have no weapon. Instead the first chance she had she would try and escape and form a new Rebel Alliance." Vader said. "There must be no cause of suspicion within the crew. I trust Admiral Piett to follow our orders. Leave your post, bring the _Executor _to Coruscant and bring Leia before me."

"But father, we have to guard Death Star II, it is operational but only three fourths of the way completed, the reactor is still exposed. What if the three transports of rebels that escaped the Yavin IV assault make a last ditch effort to sabotage?"

"Then the rest of my fleet shoots them. Bring Leia to me."

Ravan could see no point in further arguing with his father. He nodded and bowed as the hologram faded into nothingness.

**_Sorry this chapter is so short. _**


	3. The Favor

Chapter 3: The Favor

"It is a small favor for someone with your apparent skill." Alecto said in her weird accented voice. "Let me put it straight, no sugar coating. I need you to whack a guy on Coruscant."

"On CORUSCANT, that is the Imperial capitol!"

"It's also the place where the guy lives." Alecto replied simply. "And you'll be well paid. I'll give you five hundred thousand credits."

"I've been paid much more than that for harder assassinations." Mara snapped. "I want more if I have to do this."

"Fine, nine hundred thousand, no more."

"Alright."

"And I'll get you a meeting with Kallisto."

"Fine, I'll do it. Now who is this guy?"

Alecto didn't answer. She instead pulled out a small holo projector from a pocket on her long leather jacket. She flipped it on and a hologram of a slightly fat looking man appeared.

"That's the guy. He's a wealthy merchant who lives in an entire building. Not a penthouse on the top. _The entire building_. He cheated Kallisto out of a million credits a while back for a shipment of a couple thousand death sticks."

"Why haven't you just sent out people to kill him before?"

"Ha, ha, ha! Smugglers are no assassins. We may be able to smuggle illegal cargo into places but we can't sneak ourselves in to assassinate someone. Judging by your miraculous appearance here I'd say you have some type of assassin training, or espionage."

"You got me there. I've taken out more big guys than you no. Although every time I did it I didn't actually have to sneak down on the planet. I don't want the Imperials to find me."

"Tough. You kill the guy or you don't, otherwise you do not meet Kallisto." Alecto said, making a gesture.

"_Fine_." Mara snapped. "I'll kill him."

"Good."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Don't you want me to bring some token back? Something so you know I killed him?" Mara asked.

"Hmpf. I'll know he's dead because it'll be all over the HoloNet. Assassinations aren't the norm on Coruscant."

"_If only you knew."_ Mara thought. She had assassinated so many people on Coruscant. Anyone the Emperor didn't like or considered at threat, the old Emperor that is. Assassinations used to occur on Coruscant about on a monthly basis.

"Still… it would be nice to have something to present to Kallisto." Alecto looked up at Mara, and smiled. She pulled out her right hand, which she had had hidden the whole time, crossed around her and twisting behind her back. Mara noticed a mechanical finger where her middle one would be, covered in a single finger glove, or whatever you want to call it. Kallisto pointed to her index finger, one of the four that were still made of flesh, bone, and blood. "He wears a huge ring on this finger. Bring it back to me."

"Alright. When should I set out?" Mara asked, still a bit frustrated, but then again all she had to do was kill a guy and she could meet Kallisto. Killing had been partly what the Emperor had used her for. It was as easy as slicing bantha meat.

"Immediately." Alecto replied quickly.

"But you know," Mara began, thinking of something else.

"What now?" Alecto asked with just a hint of annoyance in her accented voice.

"I fly a Z-95 headhunter. Might that look a little suspicious in the skies of Coruscant?"

"It would." Alecto agreed. Stroking her chin. "But I don't really have any ships to spare. And the ones I do might look even more suspicious."

Mara waited for a moment as Alecto stood up and paced. She smiled and turned back to Mara.

"I have something for you. A ship I wanted to get rid of for a long time. By all means leave it there. Let it blow up."

"What is it?" Mara asked, dreading the answer. She didn't exactly fancy driving an old ship that a smuggler wanted to rid herself of.

"It's a…"

XxX

"This is a piece of crap!" Mara yelled at the guide who had brought her to the ship Alecto was giving up. It was a blastboat. Easily flown by one and it even had ejecting capabilities but it was in bad shape, and disguised. Its hull was rusted in several places, still keeping an atmosphere however. One of its disguised twin laser cannon barrels was snapped off. The right engine had the tail of a proton torpedo _melted_ to it, and above all of the ships hull dents, scratches, scorches, and laser bolt holes, the front viewport was completely covered with a burn mark. All except for one clear spot in the middle. No bigger than Mara's head.

"Not my fault." The man next to her said, throwing his hands up. "You're the one who wanted a different ship."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Mara snapped " AND Leave!"

"Nah, I like annoying people. I think I'll stay here."

For a second Mara could not tell if he was actually serious. If he was his head would have been blow off in a matter of seconds. It seemed he wasn't. He turned on his heel and began walking back to one of the buildings in the smuggler base, muttering to himself. Mara muttered a few curse words herself as well as she stepped into the small blastboat and examined the interior. Every thing covered in any type of fabric had at least one rip in it. The pilots chair had about twenty and by now the stuffing was piling up on the floor. The buttons and switches were either covered in grease or the paint on them had completely chipped off. A few even had tiny hairline cracks. The yoke of the ship looked as though it had been broken, and welded back together at least three times, making it crooked. Mara signed and started it up, surprisingly the engines coughed twice, dimmed and fired up perfectly.

The repulsor lifts were another story. Mara had to transfer half the power to them to get them functional. Finally the ship was off the ground. Now to Coruscant.

XxX

Coruscant was the same as Mara remembered it. Though what really could have changed in half a year and a month? It glittered like a bullet as she exited hyperspace. Today relatively low traffic flowed in and out of it. Amazing. Mara joined one of the lines going in towards the Imperial city district, the man's building, not apartment, building, was there. She entered the atmosphere quickly and swooped down above the buildings of Coruscant, looking for a particular one. The sun was now setting, casting orange light on the buildings. Mara found the building, right where Alecto said it would be. It was shaped like any regular apartment building, Serreno design, though it was much taller. There was but a single landing platform jutting from it. It was relatively large and looked as though it could fit five ships easily. Mara however could not land there, she could clearly see seven guards patrolling it, all dressed in dark almost maroon uniforms.

She could eject and land on the roof. That seemed like a good choice. She had a jetpack with her that Alecto had given her. Setting the ship at its slowest speed and keeping it on its present course she stood up and strapped on the jet pack and set a thermal detonator down on the floor to go off in two minutes. She leaped back into her seat and pulled back the ignition as far as it would go. The junky little blastboat shot forward. Strapping herself in and putting on a pilot helmet Mara pressed the eject button on her ships console. The roof above her clicked and tore off, seconds later her seat disengaged and in the blink of an eye she was flying in the air. Quickly she disengaged her crash webbing and rolled off the chair as it continued gliding down slowly on repulsor lifts. Mara free fell for just a moment, rapidly approaching the roof of the building. At practically the last moment she clicked her jetpack on. She jumped about a foot upwards from its boost and slowly glided down onto the top of the building.

At the exact moment the ball of her foot touched the roof she heard an echoing explosion, followed by she sounds of ripping metal. She looked up too see her ship blow into itself and expand in a fiery cloud of burning gasses and equipment. Easy enough. People would be distracted, giving her time to slip in, kill the guy make off with one of his ships and go back to Cato Neimoidia.

_**Okay, I have said this before, this time I mean it. I will not be able to update frequently so don't be worried if I don't update in like a week. I will not abandoned this story or take a short way out like I did my first version of Unknown Son. Promise, oh and the reason I cannot update frequently is highly predictable. Homework from school, and sad to say it but I am addicted to Lego Star Wars 2, and I will probably be getting a season of one of my old favorite TV shows Dark Angel so I'll be watching that, a lot, I know when I got three seasons of Xena: Warrior Princess I was addicted to watching those. I'd literally watch three episodes, stop take a break, and come back and watch a few more so I have that distracting me as well. Mostly I am saying I have stuff to do but fan fiction still will be on the top of the list, below academics of course but still it's up there. Okay I'll shut up now, my notes are like chapters in themselves. (PS, anyone know how to access that door in Lego Star Wars 2 with a picture of Jabba above it? It's driving me insane not knowing how to get it open.)**_


	4. Assassination

_**I believe the title is self explanatory. This chapter though has quite a bit of action, wow, I've never said that this early in any fic have I? I don't know actually. I can't even remember typing other fics. I kind of just drift from one to the next. Yeah blah, blah, blah. I'll shut up, just read & review. I like hearing what you think.**_

Chapter 4: Assassination

Twilight had fallen as Mara scaled the roof of the person whom she was going to kill building. There was one simple way to get in. A skylight. Mara could find none at the very top center of the roof, but there were three on the very perimeter. She scaled the roof to the closest one and began searching her belt for something. For this assassination she was now wearing a stealth suit, made entirely out of thin and flexible black armorweave. She had a number of weapons on her, one thermal detonator, her lightsaber, her blaster pistol, plus a very small backup pistol, not much bigger than her hand, as well as a very sharp tempered durasteel blade, which was what she was searching for. Her gloved hand came to rest on its sheath. Moving it up she pulled the blade out.

Taking it down with her hand she carefully and gently eased the tip of it through the glass of the skylight. Thankfully it was glass and not transparasteel, otherwise she would have to use her lightsaber, or more preferably a welding torch. If anyone saw her with a lightsaber the suspect of assassination could be easily narrowed down.

She took her knife and cut a hole in the glass, making sure to grab it before it feel. The hole was about two times the size of the circumference of her body. Easy enough. She looked down into the room below, not seeing much except the floor. It was a good ten feet or so down. Maybe fifteen. She could get down but it would be risky, mostly because traveling down a wire with now wall to rappel down was slow business. She had no choice. Tossing the glass off the side of the roof where it because about a ten minute long fall she grabbed a rappel gun from her belt and shot it into part of the roof near her. After testing that the grappling hook was firmly lodged into the durasteel off the roof Mara clipped the rappel gun back to her belt and slowly began inching her way down on it.

The room she set foot on was circular. Literally in fact, it was a room that went all the way around another wall of an other circular room. It seemed to be a longing area. There were several sofas along the perimeter of the wall and a HoloNet screen that looked highly expensive. Taking her silenced blaster pistol she aimed and shot it, stupid rich people, spending so much money on useless things. Not that a HoloNet screen was useless but really, do you need a sixty inch one. With a slight his and the quiet sound of a breaking glass HoloNet screen it broke. Mara smiled satisfied. Now she had to find the entrance to the inner circular room. She walked the perimeter of the room she had entered in quietly. No one was in it.

She found a staircase winding up the inner wall and disappearing into the ceiling. Perhaps she had stumbled upon the man's main living area. Why not? Lots of people like to live at the very top of buildings. Silently she crept up them, not surprised to find them leading very high up into a living area. When she came out into it she nearly screamed as she nearly collided with a man looking out the window in front of her. Apparently watching fire crews put out her burning ship which had crashed into a building nearby. This was her target. Crouching somewhat she crept towards him. She preferred the break her targets neck. After she was just a few paced from the end of the stair well she froze as the man stifled a yawn and

Turn her way. He jumped when he saw her, and took a quick glance at her, realizing what she was his hand flew towards a small _control panel_ strapped to his wrist. The moment his finger hit the button every light in the room flashed for white to red and continued doing so, then a huge annoying alarm rang out. Mara cursed and the man turned to run, pulling out her blaster she squeezed off two shots. Both hit him clean in the back of the head.

Mara ran up to the man and checked his pulse. Dead. Excellent, grabbing his hand she yanked the biggest ring he had on off and turned to go back down the stairs. When she reached the bottom she found herself staring into the barrel of a guard's blaster rifle.

"Don't move." He commanded. Mara took a moment to look at him. He was standing in the complete wrong posture, or stance. His entire body was turned towards her, with his hands stretched out and aiming the gun. There was a very simple way to get rid of him and Mara could almost laugh at it. Before he could even see she brought her booted foot up hard into his groin. He keeled over, shooting off three laser bolts that burned into the carpet and disappeared with a wisp of smoke. The man turned and began an descent towards Mara's feet. He had seen her already, he had to die. Reaching out she grabbed him by the next as he was halfway done with his fall and twisted upwards.

There was a sickening crack as the man's neck snapped and his body went limp. Mara let him finish his fall and grabbed his blaster rifle. Aiming at a window on the outer wall she pulled the trigger and blaster a chain of shots that shattered the window, and set glass particles flying down to the streets of Coruscant, which would be dangerous and inconvenient for the people strolling them, though it wasn't as though Mara gave a flip for the dirty crime bosses and drug dealers that lived down there.

And it was then that she realized she had stood in one place for too long. There was a hissing boom as a blaster discharged and the bolt narrowly missed Mara's face, she could feel its heat go across her nose. She turned to the direction of the shot. There were five guards, five! This was not one of her better assassinations, and she would not count it as an assassination if she did not escape, in which case would it would be an attempt. Attempts did not sit well with her. She shot a glance at the shattered window. It was already night. She was wearing a stealth suit.

Quickly she pulled her blaster upward and shot out the blow stick above her, and it in turn caused a chain reaction, stopping the circuit and shorting out every other light in the circular room. And that sadly is how all big government buildings were wired. Mara ducked and rolled as the guards fired at her previous position. Through the flickering light of their blaster bolts they still could not see her. But she didn't want to give her position away either. Quickly she pulled out a pair of night vision goggles and switched them on.

It seemed that the room was bathed in green light. She could clearly see the five guards, each of them had stopped firing and were now slowly walking in her direction. She knew how to take them out one by one, but to kill the first she would have to sacrifice her knife since she had only four grappling hooks left. Unsheathing her knife she flipped it and held it by the blade taking careful aim at the man furthest to the right. When she judged it right she pulled back, and launched the knife. It hummed as it cut through the air and landed smack in the man's neck. His comrades quickly turned as he fell and shot. This gave Mara a fraction of a second to kill another. She took out her grappling gun and snapped in a grapple magazine. She aimed it at the next guard and shot.

The grappling hook made a similar sound as it cut through the air. It hit the next guard in the chest and flew all the way through, spreading out its hooks and going back as Mara pulled. She cut the cord from it and watched as the remaining three looked at the one who had fallen. They all seemed very nervous now. Mara repeated the step two more times and by the time the fourth fell the fifth located her and shot. She had no choice, he was going to die anyway. She pulled out her lightsaber and deflected the bolt. It ricocheted off the blade and hit the guard in the head. Mara deactivated the saber and ran for the window as she saw ten more guards quietly enter the room.

Again she was freefalling and again she pressed her jetpack on. It flew her up and then leveled. She threw off her night vision goggles from the glare of the Coruscant lights and glided her jetpack down towards the landing platform, which thankfully was deprived of guards at the moment. A few feet above the platform she switched the jetpack off and landed on her feet, running to the nearest ship which happened to be a shiny and new Lambda class shuttle. Man, that guy was rich.

She ran up the ramp of the Lambda shuttle and into the cockpit. Starting the ship up she raised the ramp and took off, turning left and up towards the sky just it time to see a small Imperial troop transport headed to the building, and guided by four TIE fighters. Mara cursed and punched the engines full throttle, shooting up towards the night sky. It took a moments for the TIE fighters to register what exactly that meant before they flew off in pursuit.

Mara pulled her ship up, going straight at the sky at ninety degrees. The TIE's followed the same way and one launched off a warning shot that grazed the left wing of the shuttle, shaking it but doing no damage. Mara didn't slow. She switched the afterburners on and shot forward. Then the TIE's opened fire. Nearly all of theirs bolts missing. Two grazed off the top of the shuttle and one hit the back, below the left engine. The rest missed and flew away, one hit a passing speeder at the very top traffic land dead in the engines which exploded. The speeder shook and dived downwards, burning and the pilot dead. It shot past the shuttle and smashed into one of the TIE fighters. Ironically the one that shot it and both ships simply welded together as the fighters fuel exploded, and both went down towards the streets of Coruscant. Mara shot out of the atmosphere, having already calculated a route through hyperspace she flicked the switch. The stars grew into needle thin lines and Mara shot past them, going into hyperspace. The counter said she would reach Cato Nemodia within one hour or so.

For the first time in her assassinating career Mara sat back against the pilot's seat and let out a relieved breath. She had never had such a close call. She breathed out again. And closed her eyes.

"Fancy flying lady." A voice said from behind her, making her jump. She leaped off the seat and turned. A man in a pilot's uniform, similar to the guard's was standing at the cockpit entrance with a blaster pointed at her chest. The pilot of the ship had been on, he hid when she had boarded. "But this is my ship and I want it back."

Mara frowned at him. "It's mine now, unless you want to buy it."

"Damn it woman, I am going to kill you and you're going to sit and make jokes. Mara sighed and turned the pilot's seat around. Sitting back into it.

"Well will you at least kill me sitting down then?"

"Fine." The man replied smiling. "Prepare to die assassin."

And then, with the sound of a discharging blaster, and a thud… the man fell to the floor of the cockpit dead. Mara looked down at the blaster she had pulled to her side.

"Moron." She muttered as she turned back to the control console and looked out into hyperspace.

**_Thanks for the reviews I have so far people. I like 'em. They make me type faster. And that is no joke. I am serious. Usually after I get a review I go and type more._**


	5. Mara Jade

**_A few of you may be sick of hearing about Mara Jade. This chapter is titled Mara Jade but she only appears as a frozen holo image in it. The rest is Luke, Vader, and Leia. By the way I call the guy Lord Xauron who was assassinated. It is a made up name, its kind of like JRR Tolkien's villain except with an X. I've always wanted to use it._**

Chapter 5: Mara Jade

As he was ordered Ravan led Leia down a hall of the Imperial palace. Her hands were bound in front of her and she didn't seem enthusiastic about meeting with Vader. Probably because Vader would want to meet with her several times, which would mean the Imperail Coruscanti prison, which had a reputation for being… terrible.

Ravan gently gave Leia a push in into the turbo lift. She sighed as Ravan came in and pressed the top floor button. He looked at her.

"You don't seem very thrilled."

She looked up at him.

"You're the one who shouldn't be thrilled. That monster is your father."

Ravan scowled at Leia and hit her across the face, not hard, but hard enough to get a point across. It made no difference if they were siblings or not, Leia would not talk about Vader that way. She would not.

"He is no monster. He's a great man."

"Machine." Leia muttered.

Ravan scowled but did not hit her, for there was truth in those words. Vader was more machine than man. Next time he got the chance maybe he should ask Vader why he didn't heal himself. They didn't have technology adequate to do it when Obi-wan fought his penultimate duel with Vader on Mustafar. But they had the technology now. Ravan glanced up as the turbo lift marked them on the top floor. The rounded cylindrical door slid to the left, letting Ravan and Leia out into the throne room of Vader. Formally of Palpatine. Ravan edged Leia out of the lift first and followed her past four red guards and up the steps. Vader stood in front of the Emperor's old chair, which was modified now so Vader could sit in it more comfortably. The back was cut down so Vader's helmet was not leaning against it, and the cushions were replaced with ones that would fit Vader in his suit perfectly. Ravan could almost see him smile beneath the mask.

"Princess Leia. Welcome, sit down please." Vader said almost politely. Taking a seat himself upon his throne. Two chairs floated down from the ceiling, one landing behind Ravan, the other Leia. Ravan sat down on his but Leia remained standing.

"I would rather stand." Leia said.

"Well _I_ would _rather_ you sit." Vader hissed.

Leia remained standing defiantly. Ravan groaned with irritation. He jumped up, ran to the nearest guard, took his force pike and went back to Leia.

"Sit, or I'll make you." Ravan said in a warning tone. Not that this was going to help when Vader revealed the truth to Leia about them being siblings but he couldn't help himself.

"Make me then." Leia said defiantly.

Ravan shoot his head. He set the power of the force pike to low, it would merely numb you when you were hit, numb you for about two hours. Ravan whacked it against Leia's left leg. He heard the buzz as electricity discharged from the thing, and both of Leia's legs gave way. She fell back into the chair. Ravan threw the force pike to the guard who caught it. Then he sat down.

"Leave us." Vader said to the guards. Wordlessly the floated out, making no sound, as though they were ghosts. But they were not, just highly disciplined and highly paid men. Vader turned his head back to Leia.

"We have news for you princess."

Leia rolled her eyes. "Is it that you're finally just going to kill me, or are you going to let me go?"

"Neither." Vader answered. "No, this is about Bail Organa."

"Is it? Well I don't really want to hear anything from you about him." Leia said in a soft, but hard tone.

"Well then you can continue living in a lie or you can be told the truth."

Leia's eyes flashed. "What truth?"

"We have preformed a blood test, and you are not Leia Organa. Bail is not your real father."

"And why should I believe you?"

"This should convince you." Vader said. He took out a small holoprojector and flicked it on, then tossed it to Ravan who caught it and gave it to Leia. It listed information on Bail Organa's blood and hers, and was quite authentic. Leia's eyes became glassy. She threw the holoprojector on the floor and it cracked down the middle.

"It can't be. You're lying, this is some sick joke you're playing on me to amuse yourselves!"

"It is no joke." Vader replied calmly. "You know all the information on there is correct, your blood types for one thing."

"Then who is my real father?"

Vader was about to answer, but it never fails. Just when you are about to tell someone something important, someone else bursts into the room with bad news. Just as it happened now, a young officer ran into the throne room and took the steps up to Vader by two. When he reached the top he bent down to catch his breath. Ravan, Vader, and Leia's eyes were on him.

"There…" He gasped, breathing heavily. "has… been… an… assassination!"

"There what?" Vader asked coldly.

"Yes milord… there has." The man replied standing up straight.

"Lord Xauron. The merchant is dead."

"WHAT!" Vader cried. "He cannot be dead, he was a major supplier of information on criminal dealings for the Empire!"

"He is dead milord. An assassin killed him with a shot to the head an hour ago."

"Is the assassin caught?"

"No milord, it seems the assassin escaped in one of the merchants' personal shuttles."

"Ravan!" Vader snapped. "Go to the crime scene, see what you can find out. I want that assassin caught and thrown into a fuel tank on a star destroyer!"

"Yes father." Ravan replied jumping up and setting off immediately, the man behind him, Vader called his guards back to take Leia away. He would have to tell her about her true family later.

XxX

Ravan burst in to the circular room of the merchant's building and walked straight up to the commanding storm trooper who was interviewing the chief of security. Ravan shoved the trooper out of the way and narrowed his eyes at the red uniformed chief.

"The Emperor demands to know what happened." Ravan said. "Who killed him?"

"I've been telling your kath hound here the same thing for half an hour," The man retorted. "I don't know!"

"Don't you have security footage of the assassin?"

"Of course, and I have tried finding a match to her picture in the Imperial database but—"

"_Her_?" Ravan asked cutting the man off.

"Yeah. I woman, she snuck in and killed the guy with a pistol and took out five guards, one she threw a knife into, the other three she shot with a grapple gun, and the last she shot with a blaster."

"Do you have a holo of this woman?"

"Yeah, yeah." The chief replied pulling a small holoprojector out of his pocket, he switched it on. When the image materialized Ravan felt his mouth drop open and his heart skip one beat. It was Mara Jade. Ever since he had met her he had liked her looks, and her style, but he had never expected to see her again after she never came back when Vader took over the Empire. Or more so, never expected to see her assassinate someone right under their noses.

"My lord?" The chief asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I have to contact the Emperor." Ravan replied. He looked to the captain trooper. "Continue the investigation."

Ravan turned his back and went around the inner wall to the other side of the room where he took out his comm link and punched in a frequency. Seconds later an image of his fathers helmeted head appeared.

"You found something?" Vader asked.

"Yes father. It was Mara Jade. She killed him."

"Mara Jade… the Emperor's Hand? She is still alive?"

"Yes."

"Why would she kill…"

"I don't know either father."

Vader didn't reply. He seemed to be in thought. Finally he looked back at Ravan.

"There is nothing we can do about it now. Come back to the palace and let the troopers continue their investigation."

"What about Leia?"

"We'll tell her soon enough."

**_Viola, your break from Mara, next chapters about her though._**


	6. Unsatisfied

_**Thanks for the reviews I have gotten so far. Are any more of my readers out there? If so REVIEW! Well of course read first, then review.**_

Chapter 6: Unsatisfied

Mara's stolen shuttle exited hyperspace above the planet Cato Neimoidia exactly an hour an half after she had entered hyperspace.

Taking the ship down into the atmosphere she kept a steady altitude of one thousand feet. She was going to go over the base and land, though she was somewhat concerned the smugglers may want to shoot her down since she was, after all, piloting a Lambda class shuttle.

Instead of immediately shooting at her, when she reached a shop over the base and began to descend her comm crackled and Alecto's voice filtered through.

"Imperial shuttle, this is Alecto, administrator of the base below you. You are hereby ordered to land in the clear square between the building or be shot down. Acknowledge."

"Save it." Mara snapped. "This is a stolen shuttle."

"Damn it Jade! You scared the hell out of us. Why didn't you transmit any ID signature?"

"Pay back. I was almost killed when I assassinated that guy."

"Yeah whatever. You're not dead now are you?"

"I suppose not, considering the fact I am talking with you."

"Just land, we'll talk more in a while. Come into the lounge again, I'll be waiting."

"Whatever."

Mara cut the connection abruptly, and ran her hand over to the landing gear controls. The struts ejected just in time as the shuttle touched down. Mara forgot how sluggish they could be. The flicked a switch near the front of the control board, the ramp of the shuttle began to drop, indicated by the hydraulic hissing. Mara stepped out of the cockpit and walked down the ramp, pushing past her escort and heading to the large building. The doors pulled back in front of her and she stepped into the lounge. There again was Alecto, her legs elevated comfortably onto the table.

She looked at Mara and smiled, gesturing for her to take a seat. Mara complied, crossing her legs when she sat down.

"Now," Mara said, slipping something out of her pocket and putting it on the table, still covered by her hand. Alecto put her feet down. "to business."

Mara pulled her had away, revealing the enormous ring the merchant used to wear. When he was alive. Alecto snatched it up and put it in a pouch on her belt, hidden away by her voluminous jacket.

"Yes to business."

"Excellent. Now, when can you arrange my meeting?" Mara asked. Finally she would be able to talk to Kallisto. For the first time in a long time a smile graced her fine features.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Not yet sweetie. I am… still not satisfied."

Mara's smiled faded as quickly as it had appeared.

"What do you mean you are still not _satisfied_? We had a deal, keep your end of it or I'm going to be very displeased."

"Ha, ha, ha! You would try and kill me? Even if you did you'd have to take one about four dozen heavily armed smugglers, and then you'd never be able to talk to Kallisto."

"But I killed him, and I almost got killed myself!" Mara hissed.

"And that is why I remain unsatisfied." Alecto replied. "That is why I am still unsatisfied. The job you did was to… messy."

"What did you expect! The man had his own damn security force!"

"I expected you to be a good assassin."

"You know what? I don't give a bantha's a—"

"Yeah well, I don't give one either. So you can do one more favor for me, and you can do it right. Or you can skulk back to whatever hole you crawled out of and never meet Kallisto."

A fire ignited in Mara's gut. She nearly reached for her lightsaber. But it was her excellent self control that stopped her. Instead she gritted her teeth, scowled, pushed back a number of retorts and insults that were threatening to erupt from her, and folded her hands on the table, so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"What other favor could I possibly do?" Mara asked quietly

"I got a shipment of death stick. They need to be delivered to Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine. I want two million credits. Make Jabba settle for it."

"No deal! I am not a delivery woman!"

"Then you can leave and not meet Kallisto."

"Ugh! Don't you have some other way? Something a bit less, idiotic?"

"Hmm…" Alecto muttered, stroking her chin. "Perhaps you can do something. If you're up to the challenge."

Mara frowned. Hopefully this challenge would be easy, she didn't have time to do something insanely difficult. However Alecto's tone of voice was doing well to convince her otherwise.

"What challenge exactly?" Mara asked.

"It gets dull around here." Alecto began.

Mara rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you want a game of sabacc."

"Pfh. Sabacc is the stupidest of card games, I am caught up in the ancient times. I like pazzak."

"Does anyone actually remember how to play it."

"Maybe. Let's just get back to the point. It gets dull around here—"

"We've established that already." Mara interrupted, a smile on her face now that she had gotten a chance to be rude as well.

"I am not finished." Alecto hissed. "It gets dull around here, and I practice the ancient art of sword fighting."

"You use swords? I didn't think they existed anymore, I thought everyone used vibro blades."

"I'm not _finished_. I do use vibro blades, and as I said I practice the ancient art of sword fighting. Only problem is no one else around here does so I never get a good duel. Sometimes Kallisto likes to but I usually best her. Don't get me wrong she's a good—"

"Are you finished with your life story yet? I get it alright. You want me to duel you and if I win you'll take me to see Kallisto."

"Exactly."

"I accept. Prepare to lose." Mara said, reaching for her lightsaber.

"Not yet! The rules state each participant of the duel takes one hour to prepare themselves."

"That's ridiculous. What moron invented that rule."

"I did. Now," Alecto waved her hand and a guard came up beside Mara.

"He will show you to your temporary quarters. When the hour is up we will duel, with no audience."

"So I have to trust the honor of a smuggler?"

"And I have to trust the honor of a spy and assassin."

XxX

"_You're not trying hard enough!"_ A voice roared, Mara sat up in bed. The decided to take a cat nap for the time Alecto gave her. She scanned the dark room, searching for the source of the voice.

"_Avenge me. Kill Skywalker and Vader!"_

Mara jumped up onto the floor and reached for her lightsaber, activating its blade.

"Where the hell are you!"

"_Has it been so long that you have forgotten?"_

Mara swung her lightsaber behind her, where the sound of the voice was coming from, but it ran through thin air.

"Get out of here!" She cried.

"_I am not _in _here, therefore I cannot get out Mara Jade. You know who I am. Are you so fearful as to admit it?"_

Mara slumped to the edge of the bed, dropping her blade which deactivated as it hit the floor, singing the carpet.

"No."

"_No?"_

"I am not afraid to admit it. Will you leave me alone?"

"_Are you not alone?"_ The voice echoed. _"You are alone, I am a voice inside your head. Do you not remember?"_

"I remember, but it was never like this." Mara replied.

"_Of course not. Our bond was strong yes, we could speak to each other this way, but only when I died did I truly develop the technique."_

"Get out of my head!"

"_Avenge me!"_

"I am! I want to kill Skywalker, he left me with nothing after he killed you."

"_Good, good. Your hate makes you powerful. Use it to kill Skywalker, stop dealing with that imbecile and find him!"_

"Damn it I can't!" Mara cried, her eyes glassy. "I need help. Can't you do something?"

"_I have no influence in the world Mara, only through you. You are my hand."_

"Leave me alone. I'll kill him soon enough."

"_Yes, you will."_

Mara did not reply, and when the voice did not speak again she stood up, brushing her hair out of her face. Damn him! She had heard his voice inside her head for the past few months now. Ever since his death. In frustration she picked up the small chrono and hurled it at the mirror of the room, shattering it. She was beginning to hate Palpatine. A while ago she would have said she wanted to kill Darth Ravan to avenge his death. Now it was different, if she didn't kill Darth Ravan the voices were going to drive her insane. She had to kill him, for herself. Maybe then the former Emperor would stop tormenting her and she could find peace.

At that moment her door slid open and a man stepped in. He was scruffy and tall. He looked exactly like what you think of when you hear the word smuggler.

"It is time."

XxX

Alecto was true to her word. The guard had led Mara to the second floor of the building, into a storage room that had become a make shift sparring room. Mara entered it as the guard left, Alecto was the only one in there. She wore no leather jacket this time, the only thing she was wearing that Mara always saw her in was the tight shirt, now she wore matching pants and light combat boots. Her hair was still in the same ponytail it always was. She also wore a pair of light fingerless gloves on each hand, skin tight. In each of those gloved hands she bore a vibro blade, both looked completely identical.

"Welcome." Alecto said. "Do you want to verbally joust first or shall we get right to it?"

"I'm ready." Mara replied, pulling out her lightsaber and activating it in one quick movement.

"Oh, no, no, no, no." Alecto cried that was one of her usual phrases which got rather annoying. "No lightsabers. I told you we be fighting with vibro blades."

Alecto tossed one to Mara. She caught it in mid air, reluctantly she deactivated her lightsaber and switched the vibro blade on, it hummed silently and shook somewhat as it began to vibrate.

"Your move." Mara said to Alecto.

Alecto smiled, put both hands on her blade and angled it low, pointing it behind her in a stance Mara had seen a few times before. It was an ancient form of swordplay, better used with a katana. Alecto ran at Mara, stopping a few paces away and bringing to sword into an uppercut. Mara leaped back and slashed with her blade at Alecto waist line, spinning she whacked it out of the way. Alecto turned her entire body towards Mara and raised her blade, a big mistake. Perhaps Alecto was not as good in swordplay as she made herself out to be. Mara ran her blade inches away from Alecto's stomach, mimicking a cut.

"You lose." Mara said, rather disappointed. She wanted the duel to last longer. Alecto dropped her blade.

"Damn it. I thought you were going to be easy."

"Are you blind?" Mara asked, pointing to her lightsaber and dropping her blade as well. "I can use a lightsaber. It is _hard_ to use a lightsaber. I am no amateur."

"I see that. I guess you win." Alecto sighed. "When do you want to leave to meet Kallisto?"

Mara smiled. "How soon can you take me there?"

**_Sorry the duel was so short, but its not like I can just whip up fighting scenes like that (snaps fingers). It takes time and thinking and its not easy, at all. By the way Alecto was going into some Japanese form of sword fighting a saw on a movie or TV or something._**


	7. Meeting Kallisto

**_It's like FINALLY we get to meet Kallisto, right? Hope so. Also I thought ya'll might be interesting in this little fact (and its not that I'm southern, with the ya'll thing). Yeah you're like whatever Sith Master we have no interest in if you're from the south. Anyway, I checked the story stats on my profile, Master and Apprentice: The Unknown Son has as of now, at this moment 8043 hits, which (for those of you who haven't checked your stats section or didn't even know there was one) means the story has been viewed 8043 times, but it doesn't mean of course that 8043 people read the entire thing, just means a chapter of it at least was looked at. Its called hits. The first Unknown Son has 8043 hits. This one has 924 so far. Just thought you might want to know. In addition to that REVIEW! I would so like to get more reviews than I did on the first Unknown Son (43) even if I get 44 I'll be happy. _**

Chapter 7: Meeting Kallisto

"We're going in that thing?" Mara asked in dismay. "Didn't I get rid of your crappy ship?"

"Tis not the only crappy ship we have." Alecto replied. "Believe it or not it is in much better shape than the one you used."

Mara rolled her eyes, staring at the shuttle she would be boarding momentarily. It was old. Very, very old, about twenty or twenty five years, an early variation of a Lambda class shuttle. It was a run down Theta class shuttle. Its normally white outer hull was streaked with scorch marks. There were giant rips of metal missing in places, and it was dusty and oil stained. Its primary armament, twin laser cannons on either side of the protruding cockpit, were both missing chunks of metal at the tip of their barrels, and the tops were burned black from what Mara might define as over use, which was a lot.

Its ramp looked as though it had been re tiled several time, and some places still had missing floor pieces. The landing struts were somewhat bent and looked as though at any moment the shuttle might become to heavy for them. In contrast with everything the huge cockpit window was brand new and glassy black.

Alecto led Mara up the ramp, she was flanked by a tall smuggler with a mustache and long sideburns who would pilot the ship. Mara was surprised at the interior of the place, a few things had been replaced, and some things were in bad shape but it was relatively okay. Mara followed Alecto into the cockpit, Alecto sat behind the co pilot's chair, and Mara sat behind the pilot's seat, where the tall man sat down and began priming the engines. The seats were very nice and looked new, mostly because Mara had never seen any old, or new Imperial shuttle with fine leather seats. She crossed her legs and sat back.

"So, how long is this going to take?"

"That depends." Alecto replied. "You want to get there quick or you want to get there in normal time?"

"Quick."

"Fifteen minutes tops."

"Tops? What's the minimum amount of time you've ever taken to get there?"

"Seven, but that's only because twelve Imperial TIE fighters were closing in on my tail." Alecto replied bitterly.

"Imperials came here?"

"Oh yes, about a year and a half ago. Thought it was interesting they detected bases here. Came down and shot the hell out of us, we ran and escaped to a backwash in the outer rim. Twas only about half a year ago we returned."

"Then how is it Kallisto has contacts with the Imperial, and why?"

"Dunno, tis your business not mine. You find out."

Mara rolled her eyes again. The shuttle lifted off and flew away across the treetops of Cato Neimoidia.

XxX

Fifteen Minutes Later

Mara was mildly impressed when the shuttle rose over a long hill and in the distance she saw the capitol Neimoidian palace. It sat on the ground, the capitol city in the distance, several miles away, floating on a ruined platform as all Neimoidian cities do. The palace was enormous, it was made of silver metal and sandy stone, spires and towers rose up around it, landing pads attached to some. Near the bottom Mara could see a hanger bay, a cavity in the largest tower. The shuttle headed towards it, when it came within half a mile or so the comm crackled with static and the voice of man filtered through, his voice was smooth and soft. It reminded Mara of a snake.

"Unidentified shuttle transmit your ID codes and wait for verification. You have two minutes to comply or be shot down."

"Transmitting now." Alecto said through the comm. She hurriedly pulled up some file on the internal computer of the ship and sent it through. The pilot circled around the palace once before the man came back again.

"Your ID codes check out. Welcome Alecto, you are authorized to land on platform number five on the main tower."

"Thanks. Alecto out." Alecto said quickly, shutting off the comm. Without having to be told the pilot turned up smoothly and headed for a platform near the top of the main tower. He circled around it as he prepped systems to land. Mara could already see a small party ready to greet them on the platform. They became closer as the pilot eased the shuttle into a landing.

"We reach our destination." The man said in an accent similar to Alecto's only much more distinct. His speech in basic could have used a little touching up as well.

"Thank you captain." Alecto replied as the hydraulics that lowered the ramp squeaked. She and Mara stood up and headed out onto the platform.

The group the greet them was more than small and less than large. There was only one important looking person who wore an old general's uniform with a small blaster pistol holstered to his side. He was flanked by about seven other smugglers, dressed in hodge-podge armor and each carrying some type of heavy blaster rifle and a different variation of a vibro blade. He saluted as Alecto approached him, Mara behind her.

"Welcome miss Alecto." He said. He spoke in an accent even more strange than Alecto. His A's sound like ah, his I's sounded like E's and he rolled his R's, similar to Alecto's yes, but he spoke in a much different tone, the best Mara could describe it, different.

"Hello Zador." Alecto said, but it sounded like more like she snapped at him. Mara came out from behind her and looked the man full in the face, for the first time noticing his skin had an odd green tinge to it.

"And who is this?" Zador asked, his th's also sounded different, like Z's.

"Mara Jade." Mara snapped. "Nice to meet you too."

"I meant no offense." The other replied. "I simply wish to inquire why you are here."

"Why are you a secretary or something?" Mara asked with a slight chuckle.

"As a matter of fact… I am. Lady Kallisto's secretary."

Mara burst out laughing. "Aren't secretaries supposed to be women?"

"Aren't nurses supposed to be women? Some are men so shut up if you please and answer my question. Why are you here?"

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no." Alecto hissed, shaking a finger. Her little oh and five no's saying was getting to Mara; it was as annoying as three ounce mosquitoes from Dagobah. "You not be speaking to a guest like this Zador. Or you never speak again. We clear?"

"We clear." Zador replied saluting. Mara was now forming her own opinion about him, and he was much stranger than Alecto, her accent, her hair style, and the pilot put together. "Now she be coming to see Kallisto I assume."

"You _be_ correct." Mara snapped. "A tip for you; learn proper basic before becoming a secretary."

"A tip for you. Keep you tongue behind your teeth lest it be cut out." Zador retorted. Mara now didn't like him at all now.

"You two best shut your traps and get down to business. Mara comes to see Kallisto, Zador take her to her now." Alecto hissed with more than a little irritation evident in her accented voice. "Be gone now. I'll be in de shuttle till you come back."

"Yes Alecto." Zador replied. He turned and narrowed his eyes at Mara. "Follow."

"Follow?" Mara muttered under her breath, so quiet she could barely hear it. "What kind of moron says follow?"

"Apparently this kind." Zador snapped without turning his back to her. Mara jumped when he said that, now this guy was much stranger than anyone she had ever met.

XxX

Zador had led Mara to a turbo lift in the main tower. Only she and him had entered it, the rest of the smugglers had gone back to their routines. Zador pressed the top floor button, (don't they all?) and the lift shot upwards, not going as fast as Mara would have liked. Bored she put her hands behind her back and raised herself up and down on her toes while Zador stood there calm and still. Elevator music began to play. After a few moments the lift had passed the half point in its ascent and Mara's nose twitched as a foul smell entered it.

"Something stinks." Mara noted.

Zador nodded. "My species have bad foot odor. It is unnoticeable in large areas but in small areas it becomes clear."

"Sick."

"To your race perhaps."

Mara rolled here eyes and began to breathe out of her mouth. Finally the lift reached its destination and the doors pulled back with a ding. Mara and Zador stepped out into a large windowless throne room. It was far from glamorous, and looked as though it was used for meetings and weapon storage. Pillars aligned either side of the wall, each had a number of red and black plasteel weapons crates in between them. The ceiling was high raised with several inactive chandeliers. The light of the room came from spotlights set up around it and glow rods attached to the wall. In the middle of the room was a decent looking situation table, made of polished black metal, the chairs surrounding it each had two curving spike designs on the top, it was like the Imperial classiness Mara was accustomed to seeing.

At the very end of the room, raised on a two step platform was a throne, originally it looked like it was simply made of white stone, however red pads had been firmly attached to it, making it look comfortable. On either side of the throne were two small, not-so-fancy arches, leading to what Mara guessed were sleeping and living quarters.

However her attention turned to the woman sitting in the chair, Kallisto she assumed, and her color was definitely red. She was lying over the chair, her feet going off one armrest her back leaned on another. She was reading a datapad which she dropped in boredom as Mara entered. Back to the description, red was her color. Her hair was fiery red, darker than Mara's own, she wore some sort of suit, made of flexible red material, and high heel crimson boots. On her black belt which nicely contrasted with her red clothing were two mirror shiny blaster pistols, holstered on either side. But the most noticeable feature of Kallisto was a tattoo on her forehead, of a black spiky sun with a crescent shaped white moon in front of it. It was no bigger than two coins, the size of a quarter combined but still noticeable. She turned her head towards them and spoke in a flawless tone of basic, unlike her smuggler cronies.

"Who have you brought Zador? Not another person looking for employment I hope because I am tired of having to turn them down and _kill_ them." Kallisto said.

"No, no Lady Kallisto—"

"I told you not to call me Lady Kallisto. Boss will do."

"No boss, someone Alecto brought here to talk."

Kallisto suddenly showed as sign of interest.

"Leave then." She said to her secretary who bowed and headed back to the turbo lift. Kallisto slid off her throne and walked over to the situation table, sitting at the northern end. Mara sat to the south.

"If Alecto brought you she must have deemed you worthy. Tell me, what did you have to do?"

"She had me assassinate some guy on Coruscant, then she made she fight her with a vibro blade and I won. Now—"

"We haven't gotten to the now part, I only asked you what you had to do." Kallisto snapped. "But very impressive not many could best Alecto in sword combat."

Mara shrugged her shoulders. "I think she kind of sucks."

To her surprise Kallisto shrugged too. "I really wouldn't know. I am not a fan of melee weapons."

Kallisto pulled out one of her shiny blaster pistols and shot it into the ceiling, tiny particles of durasteel and permacrete rained down on the floor.

"I like my blaster, and rifles." Kallisto said, putting the weapon away. "And I especially like this."

Alecto pulled a circular object from her belt Mara hadn't noticed and held it up. It was a giant slim ring, and razor sharp by the looks of it, it seemed to larger or thicker than a standard dinner plate, but it also had an S shaped handle in the middle, and was entirely black.

"What is that?" Mara asked.

"My own invention, I call it smart disc. It locks on to any target I want it to and bounces off multiple targets, then comes straight back to me through mind sensors."

"How does it work with mind sensors?"

Kallisto pointed to the tattoo on her forehead. "This tattoo covers up a scar I have where they installed a chip onto my brain that I use to control the smart disc."

"Who's they?"

"Medical technicians." Kallisto replied.

"So how good are you with it?"

Kallisto didn't answer, she merely gave the disk a light toss, it took off, spinning so fast Mara could barely see it, she looked as it hit a weapons crate, making a large dent in it, bounced of a pillar and flew back towards Kallisto. She stretched her arm out and grabbed it by the center handle. Then she clipped it back onto her belt. Mara was mildly impressed.

"Interesting, how exactly does it fly?"

"Its powered by something like twenty nearly microscopic repulsor lifts on each side. A new technology."

"Interesting, now back to business." Mara replied.

"Yes, indeed back to business." Kallisto agreed. "Why did you come here?"

"I need help contacting the remnants of the Empire still loyal to the old Emperor. I was told you can get in touch with them." Mara said.

"I can, yes. But not directly. I message through them with Mourth Doole, he took over command of the prison center on Kessel a while back and mines spices with old Imperial prisoners and anyone he can catch. He hate the Imperials but the ones loyal to the old Emperor threaten to take Kessel by force unless they get fifteen percent of all spices mined. They like to sell it to make credits. I do business with them through Doole as well."

"Fantastic." Mara groaned sarcastically. "I jump from Alecto, to you, and now we have to go see someone else to get in contact with the Imperials?"

"Yes. Sorry for the inconvenience, but tell me why you need contact with them."

"I need help so that I can kill the son of the new Emperor for killing the old."

"Ooh assassinations. My other specialty, okay I'll help you, I suggest you wait here until I can make contact with Doole."

"Fine." Mara sighed.

"Good, now before I find you some quarters what is your name?"

"Mara Jade.

Kallisto extended her hand to Mara, she took it and shook. "Welcome to my business Mara Jade."

**_Mourth Doole is the guy from the Jedi academy trilogy by Kevin J Anderson, I am using him in this story for the lack of anyone else. He doesn't do business with Imperials of course but this is fan fiction and I am bending the rules. Oh and of course only Alecto and Kallisto really belong to me, every one else was either created by George Lucas, and or Timothy Zahn/ Kevin J Anderson. By the way I'll be going into a subplot I think with Ravan, Vader and Leia now since I haven't really got into anything with them yet._**


	8. Plots, Scheming, and Voices

**_Thanks for the reviews peoples. Sorry if I haven't replied to 'em because the bot at never emailed 'em to me. And my review alerts are on, anyone having the same problem? Or is it just me? I only know I have these reviews thanks to Darth Gladiator45 telling me she reviewed. I checked and sure enough, there it was, as well as a few more. I am contacting support so hopefully they'll get back to me on it. Again thanks. While I deal with my emailing problems enjoy chapter 8._**

Chapter 8: Plots, Scheming, Voices…

Leia found herself in another glum mood and Ravan led her to the turbo lift that would carry them up to meet Vader… again. Not surprisingly she didn't look forward to this. Ravan pushed her gently into the turbo lift before himself. When he entered next he pressed the top floor button. Instantly the lift doors snapped closed and the usual thing the lifts do happened.

"So, this time is he going to keep trying to convince me that Bail Organa is not my biological father?" Leia asked. Ravan turned his head to her, ever so slightly. His eyes flashed yellow.

"You hit the nail right on the head. And Bail Organa is not your biological father. Do we look like we have any reason to lie to you?"

"No, but I expect you like the mess with prisoners minds now and again. Like you are doing now."

"Don't rush to judgment princess. We Imperials are not heartless. Trust me, when you find out who your real father is you'll understand why we are keeping you alive and well, and why we are not toying with your mind."

"You make no sense sometimes." Leia spat.

"_Sometimes._" Ravan replied. "Not this time."

Leia didn't reply. She stood there for the next few moments until the lift doors opened again. They stepped out into Vader's spacious throne room. Leia took note that the royal guards were strangely absent. Perhaps Vader had already sent them away.

"He did." Ravan said to Leia, picking up on her train of thought by accident. Hmm, his father was right. The Force was indeed growing stronger inside him.

"Why?" Leia asked.

"You'll see." Was all Ravan said, as they began the ascent up the stairs the led to where Vader's custom throne stood. He had already dropped the chairs from the ceiling. They would just have to make her sit again, because Leia was not going to. Vader looked at her, she could somehow sense a cruel smile behind his mask. He gestured for her to sit to the chair to her right.

"I'd rather stand." Leia said politely, as she had done last time.

"Fine, stand in front of the chair. When you hear what I have to tell you you'll probably fall down."

"If you say so." Leia replied, standing in front of the chair to the right as Ravan took the left one.

"Correct me if I am wrong Princess Leia." Vader began, Leia was surprised he had given her permission to correct him. Or perhaps it was just sarcasm. You couldn't quite tell. Vader's voice had only two tones in that mask really. Anger and normal. "We left off with the truth that Bail Organa was not your real father."

"Not my _biological _father. Bail Organa was indeed my real father." Leia corrected. Leia had always thought of Bail as her father, and that he would remain. No matter who the real man was.

"Fine, if you accept Bail Organa as your father then I doubt you will take up my proposal and we'll just assume to kill you." Vader replied matter-of-factly.

"What are you talking about?" Leia asked, she was beginning to tire of these Sith games.

"I am your father."

At first the words didn't register to Leia, as though she had suddenly gone deaf, or Vader never said them at all. Then when she her brain finally understood their meaning she didn't want to believe it. As Vader predicted she fell back into the chair. She was speechless for a moment, but then it passed. She looked back at Vader's shiny black helmet. He couldn't have just said what he did. She needed confirmation.

"Wha-what did you just say?" Leia asked quietly. Her voice cracking.

"I said I am your father." Vader replied, not twitching a muscle.

Leia felt Ravan's eyes on her. Her _brother's_ eyes on her. She didn't make contact. She leaned back, and winced as though she had been hit in the gut. She absorbed Vader's words and brushed the hair out of her face, opening her glassy eyes and looking at Vader again.

"_You're_ my father?" She asked quietly, not even knowing what was going to come out of her mouth in the first place. It seemed as though Vader took an eternity to reply, taking his time to whet the blade the threatened to stab Leia's soul.

"I am." Vader replied.

The blade took a stab and sliced through Leia. She let tears fall from her now blood shot eyes.

"NO!" She cried. "No, no, why should I believe you!"

"Does it seem like I have any reason to lie?" Vader asked.

Leia didn't answer, she fell back into her chair closing her eyes. The answer of course to Vader's question was no. He didn't have a reason to lie to her. Therefore he was telling the truth. Leia didn't want to except it. She wanted to melt away into the dark recesses of the galaxy. Crawl into a cold dark hole and never resurface again. For a while she sat there. Eyes closed, letting it soak in and letting out her pain. Vader's patience did not wear out. Nor did Ravan's and finally when Leia was ready to speak again she looked at her biological father.

"What do you want from me?" Leia hissed, very quietly and steadily.

"I want you to join me. You can be free, and together our family can rule the galaxy!" Vader replied. Raising a fist.

"No, never. I'll never rule this damn Empire with a monster like you!" Leia spat. "Never!"

Vader's head dropped slightly. "It might be difficult then, to ensure your life in the cell. I will have you killed, and we have very, very painful ways of disposing of you."

"Do your worst." Leia hissed, spitting at Vader's boot. "You sick bastard, kill me! Kill your only daughter."

Vader didn't answer. He pressed a small red button on the side of his armrest. Leia half expected a bed of spike to fall from the ceiling and crush her. Instead a minute later four red robed guards stepped out of the turbo lift and floated up the stairs toward Leia.

"Take her away." Vader ordered, waving his hand. She guards grabbed Leia off the chair and cuffed her. Her legs felt like twigs that might snap at any moment. But she let them lead her away. Vader and Ravan watched her, all the way until the turbo lift doors closed. Then Vader stood up. Extending his hand and Force pushing Leia's chair into a wall on the other side of the room where it broke, and the pieces fell to the ground.

Vader growled and began to pace.

"You didn't actually expect her to just join us, did you father?" Ravan asked, remaining seated.

"Of course not." Vader snapped. "She's so like Padmé, stubborn."

"Like mother?" Ravan asked. Remembering Vader calling the woman who gave birth to him and Leia Padmé.

"Yes." Vader replied. "We need something to motivate her. To help the cause."

"Like what?"

"I don't know." Vader said, stopping by his chair. "We could perhaps stage something. Organa's wife is still alive. We could send a few legions of storm troopers or so to the planet, dressed in rebel uniforms to storm the palace and kill the queen."

"Would you really do that?"

"No, you're right. It does sound… stupid."

"Perhaps there would be another way to motivate her." Ravan said.

Both thought, but still they were baffled as to how.

XxX

As was the norm Leia was tossed back into her cell like a sack of trash into a garbage masher. She had grown accustomed to it by now and was able to land on her feet. Though about every week or so she needed replacement prison slippers since the dirt and grime of the cell floor literally ate away at them.

Final she came down onto the bench, thoughts running amuck in her mind, she not able to control them. The thought of Vader as her father, as Ravan as her brother. And worst of all Bail Organa was not her biological father. The man she considered her real father was a total stranger. All these thoughts built up so much she finally leaned back and cried. She didn't want to be Leia Vader, or whatever the Lord's real name was. She wanted to be Leia Organa.

But right now she just wanted to melt into the floor and sink away. But she couldn't she had to stay strong. She wanted so much to kill Vader, which shocked her because oddly enough she had never thought that way. And she didn't even know if she would be able to kill Vader.

"_And why not join them?"_ Asked a voice that made her jump off her seat and look around, expecting to see some audio receiver the Imperials had installed. Finally when she saw nothing she spoke out loud.

"Who said that?" She asked quietly.

"_Perhaps no one. No one if fact."_

"Perfect, now I am hearing voices. Damn Imperials and their psycho cells."

"_No, I am not a voice concocted by your brain. I am real, or used to be."_

"Who are you?"

"_It doesn't matter who I am. Just heed my advice and join them."_

"Those monsters? Join them, hardly likely."

"_You fail to see the greater opportunity here."_ The voice snapped.

"You fail to see your _advice_ is not wanted." Leia spat. A moment later she had one of those, what in the galaxy am I doing moments.

"_You don't understand. You wish to kill Vader, correct?"_ The voice asked, not bothering to wait for Leia's reply. _"Well the truth is you cannot. You cannot kill him without training."_

"What are you talking about?" Asked Leia in exasperation, she couldn't stand when people fed around the bush like this. Let alone voices that were probably just a figment of her imagination. Realizing how stupid this sounded she pushed the thoughts out of her head.

"_I mean you are Force sensitive. You have the ability to use the Force. Vader will want to exploit that ability, he will train you as he did his son. And when you have learned all that is possible you can use it to kill him."_

"But can't he feel it when I am lying or something. When I say I want to join him won't he sense the lie?" Leia asked.

"_Of course not. For it is not a lie. You do want to join him so you can kill him."_

"Perhaps… wait, why am I even listening to you? You're a voice inside my head! I might as well be talking to the dirt on the floor." Leia yelled.

"_Heed my advice."_ Was all the voice said. Leaving Leia with just more thoughts.

**_Oooh. Voice in the head, is Leia going mental? Perhaps, perhaps not, perhaps it is only the work of some evil genius. Muhahahaha! Actually its not, its quite obvious. I know who it is. You don't. Or you do. No its not Darth Traya. She came back twice in two different lines of my fics. But I'm not actually saying the person who is speaking to Leia is dead. Am I? More questions. _**


	9. The Emperor's Daughter

****Chapter 9: The Emperor's Daughter

A Couple Days Later

Leia sat in her cell, on its bench. Her right sleeve ripped off with a deep and long cut etched in her upper arm. She dabbed it lightly with a knot of her dress which she had ripped off from the hem. The cut had been given to her by a particularly nasty guard when she refused to come out of her cell to go to the prisoner wreck room. And so he had taken a long knife he had and cut her. When she still refused to go he got aggravated and was about to punch her, in the upper head when the warden walked by and called him out. Strangely the stupid man tolerated all sorts of degrading things towards prisoners, but no punching or kicking. Though Leia didn't particularly care what the warden considered tolerable since she didn't give a bantha's behind about him.

Once Leia was satisfied with the cease in the flow of blood from her cut she carefully tore another shred of her dress off the hem and wrapped it around her shoulder. Once she had fastened a knot to keep it up the door of the cell shot open and in stepped a guard. Leia didn't look up at him. He came close to her.

"The Emperor wants to see you." He said.

"Tell him I do not want to see him." Leia snapped, she of course knew this was her perfect chance to join Vader but she had to make it believable for the guard that she had no desire to talk to him at the moment.

"To bad honey, now you're coming with me."

"No."

And before she could even comprehend what had happened, two objects slammed into her neck and in the blink of and eye her back was pressed against the cell wall with the guards hands firmly clasped around her neck. Automatically she clawed at his hands with a desperate attempt to free herself. It didn't work.

Then realization struck her as she looked at the man's face. This was the same ill tempered guard that gave her the cut. She was now in a sticky situation, she hoped beyond hope that the man would did not lack the self control to kill her. After a few more moments she began to gag and gasp for air. Now she was starting to believe the man had no self control whatsoever and she was going to die. But finally as her face began to turn blue he let go.

She fell the floor and coughed as air filled her lungs, and she let it out in fast puffs, sucking in more. The guard towering above her just laughed. Her grabbed her hands and cuffed them, and drug her out of the cell. She hadn't even began to catch her breath when he led her down the hallway. She was going to get back at him for that.

XxX

Again Leia found herself in the seat that fell from the ceiling in Vader's throne room. Her guard had left five minutes ago but Vader still hadn't spoken. His helmet was tilted down, its eyeholes pointing at a data pad which held some sort of important report that Leia would love to see. Ravan sat in the chair next to her moodily. He crossed his legs and uncrossed them, then sat back impatiently. Some brother she had.

And then something happened that Leia found to be mildly interesting. Vader must had read something he didn't like because he dropped the data pad on the ground, stepped on it so hard it cracked into about four pieces. Then he sent it flying with that Force he used. It hit the wall and broke more, probably, Leia didn't watch it. Vader clenched his fists and brought them down hard on his chair.

"Something wrong father dearest?" Leia asked sweetly. Vader didn't seemed at all surprised she had addressed him as father, whether sarcastically or not and Ravan didn't even bat an eyelash.

"Yes." Vader snapped.

"Well what happened?" Leia asked.

"Nothing that concerns you." Vader bit back. The truth was he was somewhat embarrassed with what the data pad said. It was a personal report from Admiral Piett, whom by the way, he felt like strangling right now. Piett had been performing a standard operation. Overseeing the exercises of fresh Imperial pilot recruits near a small asteroid field. The asteroid field itself was small, so the Admiral had the shields on the _Executor_ down and what happens next? A huge asteroid somehow flies out of the field and smashes into the middle of the ship, denting the main reactor and causing a few major systems, such as engine power, and life support to die. Piett was lucky the ship didn't explode. This had happened yesterday and the crew was making repairs but it would take a long time before the ship was fully functional again. So far they had managed to patch up the life support wiring.

"Whatever." Leia replied glumly. "I don't really care one way or the other. Now let's just get to the point."

"Very well then." Vader said. "We have given you a few days to decide on my offer. What is your answer?"

"I will join you." Leia said quickly, not a change of expression on her face. Ravan was now standing, he looked utterly confused. Vader himself sat back for a moment, trying to somehow confirm it to himself Leia had said yes. After a few moments he spoke again.

"Yes? You will join us?" Vader asked.

"That is what I said." Leia replied.

"Oh no!" Ravan yelled. "Oh no, no, no, no, no! No, she is lying!"

"Calm down son." Vader barked over him, somewhat annoyed. "I sense no dishonesty in her. But why do you want to join?" He asked her.

"I have no other choice." Leia replied simply. "I am joining you because I must so do not expect me to follow your every direction and be all daughterly to you like daddy's boy over there does."

Leia pointed her thumb at Ravan. His eyes turned yellow.

"And so you wish to join the Sith?" Vader asked.

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

"Then yes."

"Very well then, henceforth you shall be known as Darth—"

"No not give me a disgusting Darth name like that!" Leia snapped.

"You would be preferred to be called Leia?" Vader asked surprised.

"Yeah, I would."

"Very well then."

"Father I must protest!" Ravan cried. "If she is going to be a Sith Lord she needs the proper Darth—"

"Don't push our luck my son." Vader hissed in a deadly tone. "She has just joined us, that's enough for now."

**_Wow, this chapter is longer than I thought it would be, 1,133 words without my notes._**


	10. Luckily Double Crossed

**_Note: This Chapter and the next take place within the next five hours, we'll start out five hours ago and work our way up. This chapter is also a gift for you since it is Halloween today. Happy Halloween today! I shall be wearing my good ole' Darth Vader helmet while I hand out candy to the little peoples. _**

Chapter 10: Luckily Double Crossed

_Five Hours Ago_

The voices came back once more, driving Mara crazy.

"_Avenge me! Kill him! Kill Vader and his offspring!" _It cried in her head.

"I am going to! Shut up!" She snapped back at it, pacing her quarters. She came by a mirror and kicked it square in the center, it shattered and the pieces fell to the floor.

"_Trying? Then why are they not dead!"_

"It's not a simple assassination!" Mara yelled smashing a vase with the heel of her foot and hurling her pillows across the room so they smacked into the small holonet screen and slid down.

"_Perhaps not, but you're not a simple assassin." _The voice taunted. _"You're moving to slowly!"_

"I am not!" Mara retorted. "It's these damn people that are helping me."

The voice didn't reply, and Mara thought she knew the reason when Alecto knocked on her door. She went up to the lock pad and disengaged it, the door slid open allowing Alecto passage.

"What is it?" Mara asked snappily, her back turned.

"Well I came in here to tell you something, but now I have to tell you something else." Alecto answered. Mara turned to face her, making no attempt to hide the annoyance on her face.

"Something is bothering you. I know it, I heard you yelling."

Mara was surprised to hear it, she herself wasn't sure that was out loud.

"Nothing is wrong." Mara said.

Alecto shook her head. "Whatever, I'm only trying to help you."

"You are by getting me to Doole. Now what do you have to tell me?"

"Doole made contact. Kallisto says she can leave whenever you're ready."

"Tell her I am ready now."

_Four and a Half Hours Ago_

It took about half an hour to prepare the shuttle for flight. When it was ready Mara met Kallisto in the main hanger of the palace. She stood in front of its boarding ramp dressed in all her normal clothing, everything red. Her forehead tattoo glistened today under the harsh lights of the hanger bay. But today she did look different than when Mara first met her. She still wore her same clothing as was said, but there were a few pouches strapped to her belt now, and Mara assumed she had some pretty fun evil toys in there. She still had her mirror shiny pistols holstered to each side, and her smart disk was hanging from a leather _hook_ clipped firmly to her belt. The most noticeable different was one giant blaster rifle strapped to her back, as mirror shiny as her pistols.

"Are you expecting to be attacked by an army?" Mara asked sarcastically.

"No." Kallisto snapped. "I carry my weapons with me whenever I leave."

"Because you expect to be attacked." Mara stated, after all why else would someone carry a fifty pound blaster rifle on their backs. Well Mara of course would if it had the right capabilities but right now she was just wearing her usual assassin suit, with her blaster pistol holstered on her shoulder and her lightsaber clipped to her belt.

"Let me put it this way, I would rather have these and not need them, rather than need them and not have them."

"Wise."

"Perhaps." Kallisto replied gesturing to the shuttle ramp. "Now will you board first or shall I?"

XxX

The interior of the shuttle was fine, not nice, not horrible just fine. It was also quite spacious, walking in there was a passenger compartment where five armed men sat wearing hodge-podge armor and carrying various assorted weapons. Directly behind where you walk in was the entrance to the cockpit, and directly in front was a small circular room with two doors, one that led to the cargo hold, the other that led to the main passenger section. Kallisto quickly went into the cockpit and gave orders to the pilot, she came back as the ramp was rising brushing past Mara and entering to main passenger hold. Mara followed wordlessly.

The main passenger hold was also fine. It had three comfortable looking seats in it with a holoprojector in the middle. Mara took a seat on one, and Kallisto the other. Kallisto sighed bored as the ship lifted off and sped away from Cato Neimoidia.

"So," Mara began, feeling a sense of mixed boredom, curiosity and slight uneasiness. "do you completely trust this Mourth Doole?"

"Of course not." Kallisto replied casually. "He is as slimy as they come."

"Did you ever consider then, there might be a double cross?"

"No, he's not a moron, a lot of things he ships to the Imperials come from me, without me he only has a half full bag to give them. Why? Are you afraid of a double cross?"

"No… maybe. I just have this feeling."

"That's called motion sickness. Just ignore it."

Mara's face flashed red and she could imagine her eyes bursting into flame.

"I do not get motion sickness." She said intensely. Kallisto shrugged.

"You keep telling yourself that sweet cheeks."

_Two Hours Ago_

Mara and Kallisto were both in the cockpit, gazing at the star lines when the ship slowed and was spat out of hyperspace, in front of what looked like a gray potato with cloudy mist hanging over it. It was the planet Kessel, so small it could not hold onto its own atmosphere, so factories worked twenty four seven belching out oxygen. It helped a lot, but not enough to create an atmosphere and so you could get by with a small breath mask. To the side of the planet, a couple hundred thousand miles away was a cluster of flowing circular gasses, or black holes, and colorful novas here and there. The Maw Cluster, or the black hole cluster. It was nearly impossible to navigate, though there were a few paths considered safe. That only applied however that you didn't even more an inch off course, lest you ship get ripped apart by deadly gravity fluxes. Or worse then that, you fly to close to one of the black holes and you and your ship gets crushed or you get sucked into the black hole and go away. No one ever knows what becomes of you.

The shuttle did not turn toward the Maw Cluster however, it headed on a straight course for Kessel. As the planet grew bigger Mara noticed something hanging above it, it looked like some intercept cruiser at first and that worried Mara, she looked at Kallisto and pointed at the floating object.

"What the hell is that?"

Kallisto took her eye line up as well and saw the thing.

"That's Doole's Skyhook. He's got a small army of pilots in there and quite an arsenal of ships." Kallisto replied somewhat dully. The shuttle continued to inch its way forward, and that is when Mara took note that there was absolutely no other ships in space. Her uneasiness began to grow, and she wasn't so sure it was just a simple feeling anymore, if this was the Force working through her as it did then there was some real danger. Just as she was about to alert the pilot the comm crackled and a voice, interrupted by occasional small bursts of static filtered through.

"Unidentified shuttle, state your business and passengers or be shot down." It said.

"Myself, the pilot." The pilot answered. "As well as Kallisto, her honor guard and a guest."

"Ah Kallisto, we've been expecting you." The voice replied talking to Kallisto with some cold happiness in its tone. "Doole gave use special orders on what to do with you, please land on docking bay six on the Skyhook."

Before Kallisto could reply the comm went dead, Mara's uneasiness grew ten times stronger. As the pilot changed course she spoke up.

"No, stop!" Was all she said. The pilot did so and both he and Kallisto turned to look at her. "I have a very bad feeling about this."

"Like I haven't heard that before," Kallisto replied sarcastically. "We'll be fine. Doole just probably wants to meet us on the station."

"But _why?_ I thought you said he was in some sort of spice mining business down there. Don't you think he would like to stay there?"

"Perhaps…" Kallisto replied, pondering it. "But why would he want us to land in the Skyhook?"

"Force! Are you that dim?" Mara shouted. "You said yourself he has a small army there and an arsenal of star fighters."

"Yeah," The pilot replied, looking at the radar. "He does have an arsenal of star fighters, and he just deployed them."

"WHAT!" Kallisto cried, looking out of the viewport. Indeed a small cloud of ships were pouring out of the Skyhook and coming on an intercept course towards them, the majority of the them some type of beat up TIE fighter, but Mara also picked out a couple of blastboats, Z-95 headhunters, X-wings, B-wings, Y-wings and more.

"This is not good." The pilot said.

"You think!" Mara cried. "Turn this piece of crap around, we need to jump to hyperspace."

"Yeah," The pilot agreed. "Yeah I think you're right."

The man jerked the controls and the ship flipped, righted itself and headed back as the pilot busily began making calculations. Kallisto didn't try and stop him. Her eyes were on the radar, a few fighters had broken off from the main group and were coming to surround them. And then they opened fire. Most of their multicolored laser blasts lanced off the old ships armor, a couple penetrated and rocked the ship, others completely missed and flew on until the disintegrated.

"Sheild up." The pilot said. Another wave of fire crashed into their ship, rocking it extremely hard this time.

"Damn it!" The pilot shouted.

"What?" Mara asked concerned.

"They just blew out our hyperdrive."

"No!" Kallisto cried. "No, now what in the hell are we going to do."

Mara thought frantically. And an idea came to her, a bad idea, but the only one she had.

"Give me the controls." Mara ordered.

"No, what are you going to do?" The pilot asked.

"I'm going to fly us into the Maw Cluster."

"Have you totally lost your mind?!" The pilot yelled. "We'll be torn apart."

"Oh no we won't." Mara snapped, after all she could use the Force to a good extent.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" The pilot snapped.

"Oh yes." Mara replied standing up and smacking her boot across his face, he flipped off the chair and landed on the floor unconscious. Kallisto didn't twitch a finger. Mara yanked the controls up and threaded through the swarm of ships, blasting a few down. She turn the controls and sped up towards the black hole cluster.

The fighters, seemed to hesitate and hang back for a few moments, trying to figure out whether Mara was bluffing, or she was actually going to fly straight into the Maw Cluster, Mara used these precious few seconds to slam down on the throttle and get the ship quiet far ahead. Then the fighters decided they didn't care either way and came to pursue them further. As Mara wielded the controls Kallisto spoke in a calm voice.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" She asked.

"Yes." Mara snapped. "If I didn't then I would never go into the Maw, it's suicidal, I know what I am doing."

"I hope so, this is my nicest shuttle."

"You care—" Mara pulled the steering curved Y shaped bar to the left as a particularly dense cluster of laser blasts issued from a group of three TIE fighters and a blastboat. "more about this ship then you do your life?"

"No, I trust you know what you're doing, I just don't want anything to happen to the paint job." Kallisto replied, no emotion in her voice, not even sarcasm. Mara could dimly sense high nervousness, not exactly fear, though it had the potential to grow.

"Please do not try to be funny." Mara said icily. They were so close to the Maw now the fighters had pulled back. Mara closed her eyes as they entered, trying to find the clear paths. Now Kallisto's nervousness evolved into fear.

"What the hell are you doing! Open your eyes."

"Shut it red head I am trying to concentrate." Mara snapped acidly.

"Trying to concentrate with your eyes closed?" Kallisto cried, ignoring the fact Mara had just called her a red head, when she was one as well, and now Mara could sense the presences of the five honor guards Kallisto had brought in the cockpit. They all had the same fear as Kallisto, only their's were far more… intense.

"Yep." Mara replied. "I can use the Force."

"You what! Why didn't you say this before?"

"You didn't ask."

"Oh yeah, when I first meet anybody the first question that pops into my mind is 'say can you by any chance wield the Force?'" Kallisto exclaimed with sarcasm. "How do even know how to use it?"

"Someone taught me." Mara said simply, getting annoyed with Kallisto's constant interruptions of her concentration.

"Who?"

"Some other time please Kallisto, our lives are at stake."

This seemed to knock some sense into Kallisto and she immediately shut up. She sat back, her hands clutched on her armrests, eagerly awaiting the end of this nightmare ride through the Maw. After what seemed like an hour or two of flying they came out into a clear patch, at the very center of the Maw. There was a small asteroid island in the center of it, surrounded by four Imperial class star destroyers.

"Oh shi—"Kallisto said, cut off by Mara.

"We're turning around." Mara said. She pulled the steering bar up, but the ship didn't respond.

"Oh shi—"

"Will you shut up already?" Mara cried cutting Kallisto off again. "Yeah, they've locked us in their tractor beam. I'm shutting all systems down."

Mara began the task as the pilot stirred and raised his head.

"Wazzgoinon?" He asked slurring his words.

"Shut it Nigel." Kallisto snapped.

"Nigel?" Mara muttered, chuckling slightly. "Nigel?"

And then as she thought it would, the comm crackled as the star destroyer made contact.

"Unidentified shuttle, this is Commander Kratas of star destroyer _Gorgon._ Respond or be shot down."

Mara and Kallisto exchanged looks, that was defiantly not standard Imperial procedure. Perhaps these people were just tired of unoccupied ships coming into their area, as if. More than likely ships that had entered a black hole had been spit out here a few times, with dead crew inside, it was after all possible.

"Acknowledged, Kratas." Mara replied crisply.

"Prepare to be boarded." The commander said, and the comm went dead. Kallisto looked at Mara.

"I have a bad—"

"—feeling about this." Mara finished. "So do I."

**_I must apologize for my small little pieces of bad comedy, but I love Kallisto's line "Shut it Nigel" to the pilot. That's great bad comedy! And so it the "Oh shi--"or at least I think so._**


	11. The Admiral

**_Now, hold just a moment, any of us who has read the Jedi Academy trilogy knows who this admiral is, now here is a question we must all ask ourselves. Is this story measuring up to Unknown Son? Is it? I would really like your opinions. And by the way, I am coming closer and closer to the answer of Mara and Luke's little relationship as I plot this, I am trying as hard as I can to make is so they have to join together against something, the only thing I can come up with—ever here the saying "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"? That's probably what I'll have to do, but there is only one way to do it since Ravan and Vader are Mara's only enemies…. Betrayal! As for the Leia and Vader and Ravan problem I have no idea, guess I'll have to see where it takes me and decide then. Okay read now, and review! _**

Chapter 11: The Admiral

Present Time

So far as Mara could see she was strapped into an interrogation chair which was highly uncomfortable. You could relate it to the experience of sitting in a custom made plastic chair, only the plastic was made to fit someone else. Not you. It was cold in to room as well, sinisterly cold and Mara found she was wearing nothing but black undergarments, about the right size for her, but far too tight. Mara did not have the slightest idea how long she had been strapped in the chair. Long enough for her fingers to grow icy cold from the air of the room, so if she had to estimate, at least an hour. Perhaps even over that.

After a few minutes of lying there and trying to recall how she arrived on the chair in the first place it slowly came back to her, just as her vision came into focus and she found she was staring at a light shining down on her.

But what had happened, the last thing she remembered was being taken off the shuttle with Kallisto, the pilot, and the five honor guards, all of them taken to separate search rooms. Mara herself was searched down to her undergarments, and presumably so were her comrades. Then she remembered a giant needle stabbing into her arm, with some cocktail in it that sedated her. There was no other memory. Now she was up, and now she had to wait to be interrogated. Hopefully her captor would believe her true story that she was actually searching for his help.

Surprisingly a few moments after that a door opened, and she found her eyes focus on the face of a woman. Her features seemed to have been carved into her face, by some master architect. She had long fiery copper hair as well, and surprisingly was wearing a gray Imperial uniform with the badge of an Admiral pinned to the left of her upper chest area.

"Never seen a woman get the title of Admiral before." Mara said.

"And I myself have never seen a band of smugglers enter the Maw Cluster before." The woman replied, her voice was hard and firm, as though she had commanded many through hard times. Or perhaps she herself had weathered such times.

"I am no smuggler." Mara spat, trying to control her temper. It didn't seem the Admiral cared.

"We have a snappy one on our hands I see. I'll enjoy breaking you. Before we begin I do not believe we have been properly introduced."

"No, but I don't sit well with introductions while I am strapped to a torture chair." Mara retorted.

"I find it hard to have sympathy for you, since you yourself brought this upon you by entering the Maw."

"Oh yeah, I knew there were four star destroyers orbiting around an asteroid ready to pick anybody up and torture them once the entered the Maw, especially if that person has business with Imperials."

"You have business with Imperials?" The Admiral asked.

"Yep." Mara said. "Though it depends on who's side you're on."

"Explain yourself." The Admiral commanded with much curiosity in her voice.

"You don't know. The Imperials spilt into two sides about half a year ago." Mara said, surprised.

"I and my crew have been isolated from the outside for quite some time. Others make contact with us regularly, but not often and bring us food, supplies, and information. They have been overdue for about a month."

"Have they?" Mara asked. "Who exactly are they?"

"Whoever it is Moff Tarkin sends."

"Grand Moff Tarkin?" Mara asked. "I bet he's long gone now."

"What do you mean?"

"Vader, half a year ago with his new apprentice, who is also his son killed the Emperor. A lot of the Imperials stayed with Vader, others simply disappeared." Mara explained. The Admiral's hardened features underwent a metamorphosis. Changing from curiosity to shock. She took several moments to speak again.

"And so your business with me is to…"

"Yeah, find out if you're still loyal to the old Emperor or Vader. If you're loyal to Vader just kill me now. I am tired."

"No. Never! I would never follow a traitor to the Empire like him!" The Admiral exclaimed. Mara felt a sense of relief, that she had finally found some Imperial's loyal to Sidious still, even if it was a complete accident.

The Admiral's fingers found the restraint releases and Mara's restraints were swallowed up by slots in the chair. She sat up, rubbing the red ring around her wrists and pushing her fiery hair out of her face. She stood like the Admiral, her shoeless feet freezing on the metal floor.

"Good to hear it. You can help me then." Mara said. "I am Mara Jade."

"My name is Admiral Daala. Grand Moff Tarkin himself granted me the title and gave me this assignment."

"You're on assignment?"

"Yes, I am here to guard the scientists of the Maw Installation. The Empire's finest."

"What do they do?"

"They create weapons."

"What sorts of weapons?"

"Their latest project was your Death Star."

"Interesting."

"Indeed, we have a prototype, its only the frame work however, as well as the laser, and it has a command bridge. That's all."

"It might come in handy." Mara said.

"Enough about this." Daala said politely. "I have to alert my crew, the guard will take you and your comrades to a cabin."

In the corner of the room was indeed a storm troopers, carrying a standard gun as well as a few torture implements.

"Can I have my clothes back first?" Mara asked.

"If you can discard your prison garments in front of the guard." Daala replied, halfway out the door.

It closed behind her. Mara looked at the guard.

"You try and touch me without underwear on and I'll make sure you can never have children." Mara said to him venomously. The storm trooper removed its helmet, revealing the face of a woman.

"Oh." Was all Mara could say.

XxX

_Gorgon _Bridge

"Admiral." Commander Kratas acknowledged as Daala stepped onto the bridge.

"Commander." Daala acknowledged back, turning to him. "I need something."

"Yes Admiral?"

"Patch me on ship to ship comm. I want this announcement broadcasted on the _Gorgon, Basilisk, Hydra, _and_ Manticore_, as well as the Maw Installation."

"That could take some time Admiral, this is a wide range of communica—"

"Then get started commander."

XxX

The communication's system was ready in half an hour. Daala stepped down into the crew pit and leaned toward the comm microphone. She tapped it once and a muffled boom sounded on the bridges own loudspeaker.

"This is Admiral Daala." Daala said as her voice echoed around her. "Recently we picked up a group of eight smugglers. One had some most disturbing information. Emperor Palpatine is… no longer with us. He was slain by Darth Vader's new apprentice. His son. Vader has assumed the throne of Emperor. His son is his right hand I assume. Now I know the Emperor Palpatine is dead… but so long as those still loyal to him live he will never truly be gone. We and others are still loyal him, but we are scattered and broken. We must unite, and when we do we will take our entire force and we will attack Coruscant!"

Daala paused for dramatic effect and the entire bridge crew roared and cheered. She suspected everyone else in her fleet, even those scientists in the Installation were doing the same.

"We will strike with a fury Vader has never witnessed. We will destroy him and his son, and if any Imperials loyal to his cause oppose us they will meet the same fate as their traitorous master! And then the Empire will be back in the hands of those who truly believe in it! We will elect a new Emperor!"

Daala paused again for dramatic effect and the crew roared again in applause.

"We will gather our forces and take Coruscant! Stay at your stations and await further instruction. Daala out."

She turned to the comm official and sliced a hand across her throat, indicating that he should immediately shut the system off. He eagerly ran to the control panel and switched it off. Every crew member stared at Daala as she stepped out of the crew pit, each had a mixture of emotions etched on their faces. All had sorrow for the loss of the Emperor, and all had hope that Daala could defeat Vader. The Admiral approached Kratas. He saluted.

"Yes Admiral?" He asked, expecting her to give some great command. He seemed a little disappointed when she told him what to do.

"Check the lodging records. See what cabin the smugglers are in."

"Yes Admiral."

XxX

Kallisto sat in Mara's cabin, which housed two, Mara herself, and leave it to her to get stuck with the pilot, Nigel. Kallisto was lounging in a comfortable looking chair, smoking a cigara, she had all her red garb back on, and even her black smart disc was clipped to her belt, which she occasionally tossed, making it zoom around the room, hitting the walls just barely, and then bouncing back to her. Nigel was drinking some spiced ale he had somehow gotten a hold of. Sitting on the sofa and chugging it down. If Mara was lucky he would be in bed all the next day with a massive headache. If she was lucky. Mara sat looking over the schematics of the _Gorgon_ on her datapad. It was relatively the same as any other star destroyer in the Imperial fleet. But each one was always somewhat different, unused rooms were sometimes transformed into an Admiral's personal briefing room, or a throne room. Or an extra prison cell. This one had an extra armory.

Then, interrupting Mara's study session, Kallisto's smoking, and Nigel's drinking someone knocked as of routine, three times on the door.

"Ssopen." Nigel slurred.

"Shut it Nigel!" Kallisto said automatically.

"Yeassure boss!" Nigel replied, saluting.

"Pretend to be asleep." Kallisto hissed, standing up and putting out her cigara.

Nigel didn't even reply, he flopped over on the sofa and fell asleep, or passed out. After all the ale was strong and he was on his second bottle. Mara was somewhat surprised to see Admiral Daala herself step into the room. She briefly scanned it, noticing Nigel on the couch with an emptied glass bottle of ale, and a half full one on the end table in front of him, along with three drained shot glasses.

"I see you're friend has been having a good time. I sure hope he isn't one of you're guards Lady Kallisto, he wouldn't be of much use right now." Daala said which Mara took as somewhat of a stern greeting.

"Hardly." Kallisto snapped back. Mara knew for a fact she didn't like having the title Lady attached to her name. "He's my pilot."

Daala smiled, suppressing a laugh. "I think its time to find a new pilot."

"Well until I get one Nigel will have to do." Kallisto replied.

"Admiral?" Mara asked. "Why are you here?"

"Ah yes," Daala said to herself, turning to face Mara. "We will be ready to leave the Maw whenever you are ready."

"What about the scientist's you're supposed to baby-sit?" Kallisto inquired.

"I'll leave a legion of storm troopers behind, and three wings of TIE fighters to add to the force the Installation already has." Daala answered. "The head scientist is in full cooperation, he liked my speech."

"It seemed a little animated." Kallisto replied.

"Well…" Daala said. "It's a good way to rally your crew."

"It is." Kallisto agreed. She sat back down in her chair, and lit up another long cigara.

"Smoking is a bad habit." Daala said.

Kallisto gestured to Nigel. "At least it doesn't do _that_, and besides, this is organic. It's actually good for you. Has a couple of herbs in it that cleans your lungs."

"If you say so." Daala replied. She turned to Mara once more. "When would you prefer to leave the Maw?"

"Any time." Mara replied. "But, could I ask for a favor?"

"Yes, of course." Daala said.

"There's a skyhook above Kessel, loaded with an arsenal of fighters and blast boats. They attacked us, and drove us here. I want to see them die."

"An excellent idea." Daala stated. "Many of my crew do not have adequate field experience, I drill them regularly so this shouldn't be to much of a problem."

"Thank you." Mara replied coolly. "And one other thing…"

"Yes?"

"There's an Imperial prison down on the planet, that was transformed into a mining station, the administrator is a smuggler named Mourth Doole. He is the one who ordered the attack."

"That right." Kallisto agreed.

"I want him dead." Mara said.

Daala nodded. "It would be my pleasure to see to the bombardment of his facility."

"Perfect."

**_God I can never find good ways to end a chapter. Oh well. _**


	12. The Beginning of Sith Teachings

Chapter 12: The Beginning of Sith Teachings

Brother and sister sat on a sofa in sister's quarters. Sister despising brother. Leia Organa Skywalker sat to the left of the dark red couch, and Ravan to the right, as Vader had insisted they spend a bit of time together. Neither wanted to of course. Ravan wasn't particularly fond of Leia, though he had no reason not to be, while Leia on the other hand did. A big reason, Ravan had stood back and done nothing during Bail's execution. Perhaps they couldn't have done anything, but they could have killed the Emperor before it happened.

Leia brooded over these thoughts as she picked up a glass of dark red wine, sipping it. It was quite good.

"You know…" Ravan began, but trailed off.

"What?" Leia snapped, setting the wine glass down.

"We're going to have to start eventually."

"Start what?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Vader wanted me to help you with a meditation technique so we could _bond_."

"Pff." Leia huffed. "And I said to you that I will not learn it so you can shut up about it and sit here until the guy comes in to take us to Vader."

"But he will be most displeased if I—"

"Aww. Afraid dear old daddy is going to ground you?"

"Ground me! He'd kill me! Besides, you're the one that sided with us, therefore you agreed to learn from us."

"From Va—" Leia began, choking on the word. Grudgingly she forced out something else. "From _father_, not you."

"Damn it Leia! He's going to punish us both unless you get over whatever you're angry about and let me teach you!"

Leia rolled her eyes. The truth is she had to learn, if she was going to fulfill her plan. And Ravan was right, Vader would punish them, and it wouldn't be a simple "now next time listen to what your brother has to teach you" thing. Leia would half expect to be beaten. Finally she swallowed her pride.

"Alright. Teach me."

"Excellent, first—"

"Wait, should I call you Ravan, or mister Vader?"

"Shut up and listen."

XxX

Leia grasped the technique quiet quickly, at least that is what Ravan said, Leia didn't classify three hours of sitting on her butt and trying to learn a simple meditation technique quick. But then again Ravan was the expert. This thought was enough to make Leia roll her eyes again. From what she heard Ravan was a farm boy from Tatooine, like he would ever become a Sith Lord unless Vader had found him first. He definitely was not smarter than he looked.

"I think you have it." Ravan said as Leia actually did fully slip into the Force and mediated for two seconds, and then when Ravan spoke her concentration was shattered.

"You lost it again!"

"You broke my concentration laser brain."

Ravan didn't have time to respond as the door to Leia's quarters pulled open and one of Vader's messengers stepped in.

"Eh hi, well this is awkward, rushing in when you're in the middle of a training session. Like when I used to rush in on my sister and her boyfriend to asks her if I could use her comm…" The man said. He seemed quiet… eccentric maybe. Leia couldn't quiet place it, he seemed all around weird. And strangely she was getting this impression after he only spoke a sentence, which it seemed he didn't want to finish. "You two are brother and sister, right? Yeah, he ever walked in on… oh yeah no he hasn't but…"

"Just get on with it Marshall." Ravan said.

"The Emperor will see you now."

Ravan rolled his eyes. Leia thought for a moment she knew what he was thinking, which was something along the lines of 'why won't he just get to the point?' But maybe she was mistaken. In any case she hand Ravan followed him out of her new quarters.

XxX

The first thing Ravan did when he and Leia entered Vader's throne room was climb the stairs, with her in his wake and bow to the dark lord. Leia couldn't help thinking he was a suck up. Not that she wanted to think that, it was not as if she particularly wanted to please Vader herself. Ravan seemed to somehow pick up on these thoughts and he glared at her, as she too forced herself to bow in front of this tyrant's apprentice who turned into a tyrant himself.

"I am glad to see you are allowing us to train you Leia." Vader said. "It is for the best you know. Now you may help us rule the Empire. We need a political mind and neither of us have one. Thankfully you do."

Leia felt as though she might lose her breakfast from this comment. She had no intention of helping Vader rule a cruel and heartless Empire.

"That's… uh…" Leia trailed off not being able to come up with a reply. "… good."

"Indeed." Vader said, a phrase which meant nothing. Or perhaps everything. Leia didn't know. "Your training begins now."

"Is that why laser brain over there tried to teach me a meditation technique only to break my concentration when I started to grasp it?" Leia asked envisioning Vader's helmet and head shattering and Ravan's own saber stabbing him. Vader's helmeted head that Leia would like to shatter turned to Ravan whom Leia would like to see dead on the floor after his own saber killed him.

"Perhaps." Vader said, for lack of a better response. This seemed to be lack of better responses day, first Leia, then Vader, then Vader again. "When you are able to best me in saber combat your training ends."

"Good."

"Excellent, the first thing you should know is…."

**_This chapter is kind of short. The reason I did this is because I want to get Mara out of the way with her Imperial quest, once she is done I want to give her months to plan, months Leia will spend training. It all works out peoples, it all works out. By the way the eccentric messenger boy Marshall is based of the computer tech in the show Alias, his name is Marshall. If any of you have ever watched Alias you know who I am talking about._**


	13. The Beginning of Mara's Plan

****

Chapter 13: The Beginning of Mara's Plan

Mara had been ready for a while. Daala was making preparations that took a distastefully long time. Mara stepped onto the bridge of the _Gorgon_ finding her crew busily checking systems, rechecking, priming, and then reporting to Commander Kratas. Daala herself was in front of the bridge's viewport in conversation with Kallisto. Mara noticed she had several of the crew members attention, most of them were staring at her chest or her rear. Mara walked over the metal bridge above the crew pit, as she brushed by she lightly kicked a crewperson's hat off. He didn't bother to retrieve it and continued to stare at Kallisto. Mara resisted the urge to stick her tongue out. Kallisto was old, well she wasn't, but she was not young. She had to be at least thirty something. While Mara, who turned seventeen like Ravan just a while ago, should have seemed a lot more attractive. Not that she was jealous.

"And might my smugglers be any help?" Kallisto asked Daala. Mara wondered exactly what the conversation was leading up to this, since it seemed to be mid stream. "They are expertly trained in combat, piloting and smuggling of course."

"It is an excellent idea I believe." Daala said. "Where is your base?"

"It's on Cato Neimoidia." Kallisto replied.

"So close to the core worlds, and Coruscant." Daala commented. "Strange, I would have thought a smuggler would pick a more… inconspicuous location."

"Inconspicuous?" Kallisto asked. Mara was starting to see some annoyance in her with Daala. "Cato is deserted. The Neimoidians all fled. Its as inconspicuous as they come."

"Of course, of course, I don't mean to offend you Lady Kallisto," Daala said, Mara rolled her eyes, being called Lady did offend Kallisto. Perhaps it was more accurate to say Daala didn't want to offend Kallisto, though she did unknowingly. "We will contact them once I create a rendezvous point for those still loyal to Palpatine. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Kallisto said. And they shook on it. Now it was Mara's turn.

"What is it?" Daala asked.

"You said you were prepping your crew to go." Mara stated matter-of-factly.

"And they are ready and prepared, all that remains is the order. I trust you're giving it to me now."

Kallisto couldn't help but roll her eyes at the fact an Imperial admiral was taking a command from Mara.

"It is." Mara confirmed. Daala nodded.

"Commander Kratas!" She barked. Kratas came jogging up to them. He bowed to Daala.

"Yes Admiral?"

"We are ready, set a course out of the Maw. I want gunners at their stations and pilots in their TIE's. There is a Skyhook above Kessel that I want destroyed. Get the turbo laser batteries fully charged, after the Skyhook is taken out we're going to bombard the old Imperial prison on the face of the planet."

"Yes Admiral."

XxX

The four star destroyer's spit out of the Maw like arrow points of the primitive Ewoks. Immediately their turbo lasers took aim at the skyhook above Kessel, firing green lances of raw laser at it, which impacted and left scorch marks or rips in metal. Several potshots flew by the skyhook and either traveled near Kessel's atmosphere and burned out, or continued on through space until they vanished into nothingness. Admiral Daala stood at the head of the bridge on the _Gorgon_ which was head of their diamond shaped formation. The _Manticore_ flew to her ships right, the _Basilisk_ to her left and the _Hyrdra _down below. Daala smiled as the skyhook mustered it's tiny ship army, which wasn't very tiny but it was tiny compared to her own arsenal of them. Mara sat on a chair with a view of the window, legs crossed and smiling. Kallisto seemed board, she was leaning onto the wall gazing out of the window and, despite Daala's insistence, smoking another organic cigarra. The tattoo on her head was glinting almost, it had some sort of sheen to the ink that glittered in the light. He shiny black smart disc did the same.

"Concentrate all fire on their hanger bay." Daala commanded to whomever was operating the system of communication with the gun bays. "I don't want any ships getting through."

"To late for that Admiral." Kallisto said after blowing a ring of smoke, which had the slightest green tinge to it, and that was enough to prove to Mara there were lung cleansing herbs in it, that and their sweet and spicy smell. "There are already ships out."

"I am aware of that." Daala replied without turning. "Perhaps a better choice of words would be I do not want anymore ships getting through."

"Pff." Kallisto puffed, ejecting an enormous amount of smoke out of her nostrils and mouth. It floated about the bridge. Mara, from the side view of Daala she had, saw he nose wrinkle at the smell.

"I wish you wouldn't smoke that garbage." Daala said.

"I told you it cleanses your lungs. Trust me I am doing you and your crew a big favor by blowing it out."

"I am aware that is cleanses _your_ lungs, but after you breathe the smoke out its full of the… whatever it is you're cleaning out of your lungs."

"Oh…" Kallisto said trailing off. "I guess you're right, I never thought of it that way."

"Then will you stop smoking it?"

"No."

"I expected as—" But Daala was cut off by a great rumbling throughout the ship. Mara stood up straight as she felt it. "Just what the bloody hell was that!?"

"Admiral!" An officer cried. "My god, one of their fighters flew straight into our right engine!"

"They what!?" Daala cried leaping into the crew pit and looking at the officer's monitor. Mara came as well, but Kallisto just stood where she was, smoking away and now twirling her smart disc around.

Mara looked down at the monitor which showed a technical layout of the ship's systems. The right engine, just next to the main one seemed to indeed have been hit, it had partly exploded, and now a small alarm was blinking throughout the ship.

"Can you fix that?" Daala asked.

"No, not right now. We'll have to wait until the battle is done."

"Is there any major damage?"

"Hell yes! Our engine exploded! We're stuck right in this spot till we get it fixed. I'm shutting down the other engines. We're just lucky the entire thing didn't explode and kill the main reactor, then we would all be dead." The officer said. He was about to hit a switch or two on his control board when Kallisto's smart disc flew right through his finger, slicing it off neatly. It bounced off another officer's chair and flew towards Kallisto, she caught it in mid air and clipped it back to her belt, her cigarra hanging out of her mouth.

Daala turned swiftly around to face her as the officer fell to the floor clutching a bloody stump that used to be a finger.

"Damn it Kallisto! You just cut one of my officer's finger off! Explain yourself!" Daala shouted.

"You imbeciles! You realize how close we are to the Maw? You don't do you! My god how the hell did you become Admiral? You shut off all our engines and we get poof—sucked right into a black hole."

"I…." Daala trailed off. "I…."

She turned to the officer on the floor and kicked him right in the groin. He let out of loud breath of air and lurched back, now one hand held the place where Daala's foot made contact and another officer put pressure on his bloody finger, which was rapidly making a small puddle on the floor. Daala looked down at the officer who was holding the one's finger she just kicked. She had the most wretched look on her face, a warning threat. The crew member slid back to his post.

"You moron! How the hell did you not know that!?" Daala yelled at the officer on the ground.

"How could you not?" He spat out painfully.

"Oh you little—" Daala cut herself off, she seemed angry beyond words. Not being able to talk anymore she simply pulled out her blaster and shot it, one two three four five six seven time right into the place she kicked. The raised it a little and shot him in between the eyes.

"You!" She barked, pointing at another officer. "You had better do what you can with the engines! And you had better be able to do a lot!"

"Yes Admiral." He stuttered. Daala stepped out of the crew pit as did Mara, walking back to the bridge viewport. They got there just in time to see the top section of the skyhook's hanger collapse just as another wave of ships tried to fly out. Each one collided with the debris and the entire top of the station blew. Daala jumped back a little, shocked.

"How did that happen?" She asked no one in particular. Kallisto huffed again, this time no smoke came bursting out of her nostrils since her cigarra was now spent.

"The skyhook was obliviously not well constructed and the explosion from the ships hit a generator or something, which in turn hit another until the top of it blew." Kallisto said in somewhat of a know-all tone.

Daala nodded, thinking to herself. "Perhaps…"

And then another wonderful, and shocking thing happened, a flurry of turbo laser blasts that came from the _Manticore_ smashed into the station, and it literally disappeared. In a cloud of hot gasses that is. The orange light made Kallisto's tattoo shine. Mara smiled and laughed, for the first time in a long time she felt something so like joy.

"Alright commence bombardment on the planet! Destroy the Imperial prison center."

"We… cant Admiral." An officer said. "The engines…"

"Ah yes, in that case order the _Manticore, Basilisk, _and_ Hydra_ to commence bombardment. See what you can do about the engines then wait for further orders, Mara, Kallisto, I want to see you in the briefing room, head there now, I'll be there in ten minutes."

XxX

Daala was not there in ten minutes, really. More like fifteen, and by the time she arrived in the white chamber of the briefing room Kallisto was halfway through another organic cigarra and Mara was halfway done tapping her fingers on the table. Both stopped what they were halfway done doing when Daala entered, only Kallisto went back to her activity.

"What took you so long?" Mara asked.

"I was five minutes overdue, that's not long."

"I suppose not." Mara replied. Just then Commander Kratas entered the room and sat next to his commanding admiral.

"Now," Mara said. "what about the engine?"

"My maintenance crew tells me it'll be a day. On the bright side we have successfully destroyed Mourth Doole's facility."

"Impressive, I'm surprised it took you such a short time." Kallisto commented. He eyebrows raised and she shot needles of smoke out of her nostrils.

"Must you be suspicious of my every action?!" Daala asked loudly. "I said I destroyed it, that should be enough for you." She turned her head back to Mara, Kallisto's eyes narrowed, a plume of smoke escaped her mouth. "Now I came here to consult you, and for you to consult me."

"About…?"

"A rendezvous point!" Daala snapped. "We can gather our forces here."

"How are you going to filter out who gets it?" Kallisto asked.

"Because, there is a certain protocol if the Empire were ever to split apart. Those still loyal to the Emperor would put in a certain code in the computers, if I transmit a message to all computers with that code then only the Emperor's loyalists will come."

"Hmpf." Kallisto puffed, not seeming impressed at all. Mara had to agree, it was exceptionally stupid since those loyal to Vader might just plug the code into their computers to intercept messages. Though it was clear Daala seriously doubted it.

"Alright." Mara said. "Create the rendezvous point."

"I will," Daala replied. "Just as soon as I know exactly what you plan to do."

"I have no plan set in stone! It all depends on how many join us, and I am no tactician. I only have an overall goal. That is to take Coruscant and throw down Vader and his son and anyone loyal to him."

"And what about my smugglers?" Kallisto asked. "As I said they are expertly trained, if we want to storm Coruscant we'll have to bomb the palace—"

"No!" Mara cried. "No, there will be no bombing the palace. I want to take it myself, I want to make sure I see Vader and his son die with my own eyes."

"Then perhaps these smugglers would be useful for storming the palace." Kratas suggested.

"An excellent idea." Daala conquered.

"Shall I make contact?" Kallisto asked.

"Yes." Mara, Daala, and Kratas said in unison.

Kallisto left the room. The war was beginning.

**_Dang, this chapter looks short, but it is 2015 words or close without this little note. I felt like I didn't type it to the best of my ability._**


	14. The Arrivals

**_Note: This chapter involves the introduction of two seemingly minor characters now, Captain Zax, my own character, and General Derevko, you Alias fans like me will recognize the name Derevko, I like it so I kinda made a male version of, maybe Irina or Elena Derevko. Anyways just read._**

Chapter 14: The Arrivals

I'm not sure you could call it a reception, perhaps reception_s_. Besides that fact it was almost to the old Imperial standard. Perhaps it should be explained first. Kallisto had made contact with her smuggler allies two days ago (in an unrelated subject the engine of the _Gorgon _had been fixed) and they had just arrived. Daala's fleet was orbiting Kessel now, and she had set it as the rendezvous point. The message went out to the Imperials a day ago, actually a day and an hour ago exactly, everyone was counting hours, minutes, seconds…. Back to the point. In twenty different hangers an entire squadron of storm troopers were in rows at attention as shuttles landed, each carrying about ten smugglers, when the math was done it added up to two hundred. But in fact when counted, two hundred and thirteen were exiting the shuttles.

Mara Jade, Commander Kratas, Kallisto, Admiral Daala, and even, making Mara gag, Nigel stood on a row before the shuttle that landed in their particular hanger. The shuttle bore Alecto, the odor-footed Zador, and a captain or two from the smuggler place as well as honor guards. The shuttle landed, sending compressed gasses out of tubes under itself. Mara clasped her hands behind her back, glancing over at Nigel. He was sweating and looked terrible, and Mara could easily tell he wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep off an hangover, which he had gotten from more of the bottles of spiced ale.

The ramp lowered under the shuttle like a tongue extending from a mouth, ready to regurgitate its passengers. The first thing Mara saw was Alecto's high heeled boot, followed by her tall slender form, covered in excessive amounts of black garments and a black leather jacket that hung down to her feet. Her long black hair was held up in a perfect pony tail, with the two cornrows going back above either ear as well as several random braids hanging down. All her hair was over her right shoulder.

Following her down the ramp came Zador, with his green toned skin, he was wearing nothing more than a plain cream with robe. His short hair trimmed neatly, Mara suspected he had a blaster under his robe, because from what she had seen him in this was not typical Zador style. She guessed he preferred the old general's uniform he had been wearing when she first met him.

After him two important looking smugglers came down, each wore a black uniform with a ridiculous amount of black armor on, as well as a very big and compact blaster holstered to their sides. Mara could see nametags. Captain Zax and General Derevko. Then came the honor guard, they all made a double filed line behind Alecto who approached Mara's group and bowed. Her eye's made contact with Daala's.

"Surprising." She said.

"What is?" Daala asked.

"That the Empire would be hiring a woman as Admiral." Alecto replied.

"It happens occasionally." Daala replied. Her tone basically said kiss my , fill in the stars.

"Hello Admiral Daala." Zador said, stepping up next to Alecto, her hand flew back and whacked him in the gut.

"Shut it Zador, I don't need any of your diplomacy, and stop trying to get on the admiral's good size. Suck up." Alecto said.

"My name is Alecto." Alecto told Daala. She gestured behind her.

"The green moron is Zador, and the two behind me in black are Captain Zax, and General Derevko. They are our commanding smugglers under Kallisto and myself."

Kallisto rolled her eyes, today her hair was tied up messily behind her head, giving her the look of a crazy red head who couldn't form her hair into a bun. Her fingers twitched, she had a pack of organic cigarras in her pocket and she was itching to smoke one. Mara couldn't help but wonder why they would make a healthy drug addicting.

"Pleased to meet you." Daala lied, she half disliked Kallisto, and she already fully disliked Alecto. "As I said I am Admiral Daala,"

She pointed to Kratas.

"This is Commander Kratas. Welcome to the_ Gorgon._"

"Thank you." Alecto said, her eyes shined brightly. Regardless of whatever Daala thought of her Alecto liked the admiral, well respected. She admired any woman with a high position and despised sexist people.

"Shall we tour?" Daala asked.

"If you say so." Alecto replied. "Zador get the luggage and bring it to whatever cabin they assign us."

"But I want to tour the—"

"You can tour the ship on your way to the cabin the my luggage."

"But—"

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Alecto cried, her usual annoying… response to a lot of things. "I tell you what to do and you listen to me!"

"Damn it you two," Kallisto growled. "Has he been this bad for you the entire time I was gone."

"Worse in fact boss." Alecto said with a sly smile. Zador's eyes glinted with a hint of nervousness.

"I have not—"

"Shut it Z!" General Derevko said. He took out his blaster and poked Zador in the back with its barrel. The green toned man froze and stiffened."

Kallisto raised an eyebrow as a few storm troopers twitched, deciding whether or not to raise their own guns.

"You do what Alecto says Zador." Kallisto ordered politely, so it sounded more like a suggestion.

Zador nodded and headed back into the shuttle.

"Come." Daala said.

XxX

A Month Later

It had taken a month! It had taken a month to get every single one of the damn smugglers set and comfortable. Daala was fuming with rage by the time it was done, ever single smuggler, including Alecto and Zador had requested some sort of special object for their room, food, weapons, helmets, novels, coffee, models of certain solar systems, ammo, boots, jars of Nubian jelly, enormous amounts of ale (beer, wine, ext.), or, the most ridiculous request, an entire collection of holodisks for an old HoloNet show that aired an got canceled in the same month! And miraculously the show managed three seasons worth of episodes. Daala had spent that month fulfilling every smuggler's request under threats that they would leave an expose her. To make matters even more irritating not a single Imperial had answered her beacon yet or came to the rendezvous point.

Daala stood the bridge, trying to cool off. Mara Jade was done in her cabin, equally as irritated as Daala since no Imperials had answered. Kallisto was in Mara's cabin as well smoking more cigarras without much care in the world. Alecto was in her own cabin doing nothing of particular interest, and Nigel could be found in the _Gorgon_'s only bar room, drinking more and more ale. Mara sincerely hoped he might die of alcohol poisoning, but it was a… slim chance at best for two reasons. Number one; the medical personnel aboard the ship were more than capable of dealing with it. Number two; after about two bottles the bar tender cut Nigel off and sometimes didn't let him have anymore ale for a week at a time, resulting in him moping around, bugging Mara, or drinking sugary sweet drinks that got him hyper and fast talking, which is a polite way to put it, I could say he acted like a snobbish ape man with only primal instincts, but that would be quite rude.

And at that moment everything changed.

Out of the corner of her eye Daala caught a glint of something metallic back in space above Kessel, and three Imperial Class star destroyers shot out of the deep recesses of space like a gift from the deceased Emperor.

"Oh my god." Daala whispered looking at them, several crew members followed her gaze and gasped, shocked and happy. A hand touched Daala's shoulder, she looked up to see Mara with a hard look on her face.

"They came."

"Indeed." Daala replied standing up from her command chair. She turned her head to the communications officer fully expecting him to alert her of a transmission. He did, it came from the middle of the three ships called _Chimaera._ An almost crystal clear holoimage of an older gray captain appeared on the bridge, Daala stood professionally in front of it.

"Admiral Daala," The man acknowledged. "I am Captain Pellaeon of the _Chimaera._ I received your beacon, and is it true? Are you indeed gathering a fleet to take Coruscant and kill the traitor Vader?"

"I am Captain Pellaeon." Daala answered.

"Then let me hear your proposal Admiral, I have a sizable fleet waiting a sector away."

"Certainly." Daala replied. "But she is the mastermind behind it all, allow her."

Daala gestured to Mara who walked into view of the captain.

"Hello Pellaeon, my name is Mara Jade."

"Captain Pellaeon, if you please Miss Jade." Pellaeon replied politely. "What is your plan exactly?"

"Very simple, I need a fleet and I want to siege Coruscant and kill Vader along with his son and then restore the Empire back to its real loyalists." Mara began. "I need your help for this Captain, as well as more. You can restore the Empire's glory, or you can sit back and harass trade routes and destroy convoys of supply ships. Your choice."

Pellaeon narrowed his eyes. "How did you know that's what I have been doing?"

"Because I would have done the same in your position, do everything to hurt Vader's Empire, no matter how insignificant my ways may seem."

"How do you know so much Miss Jade?"

"Mara."

"How do you know so much Mara?"

Mara smiled.

"I was the Emperor's hand. His personal assassin, I did everything for him. Everything Vader couldn't do anyway. Assassinations, dealings, overseeing weapon buys, anything subtle. And when Vader and his son killed the Emperor I died as well. I was left with nothing. Now I have hope that the real Empire will be restored and I can serve it."

"How noble." Pellaeon commented. "I will join you with the rest of my fleet."

Mara stepped back and allowed Daala her position facing Pellaeon.

"How exactly did you become commander of a fleet _captain_?" Daala asked.

"I was one of the original guardians of the Death Star. When the Emperor was overthrown and we received word… the fleet divided. During the battle my captain was killed, I assumed his role and took control of the _Chimaera_. Then I commanded those still loyal jump to hyperspace with me. We did, and no one argued when I assumed command of the fleet, despite I was no Admiral."

"Interesting." Daala said. "How many ships joined you?"

"Eleven, counting these two and mine." Pellaeon said.

"Damn it." Mara hissed. "Eleven more is not enough!"

"I agree." Pellaeon said, having heard Mara. "We will need more."

"Yes." Daala agreed. "Come to my ship and we will talk."

"Yes Admiral. Pellaeon out."

The hologram flickered away, Daala turned to Mara.

"Shall we greet him?"

XxX

A Day Later

Not everything went as anticipated. Pellaeon did board the _Gorgon_ yesterday but no talks had begun, he was formally introduced to Mara, Kallisto, (who puffed smoke in his face the entire time) Alecto, Captain Zax (whom they found passionately kissing Alecto, though they agreed to keep it amongst themselves) and General Derevko who seemed particularly fond of hanging around with Kallisto these days.

It was now, in military time 0700 hours, or in standard chrono seven o'clock in the morning. Mara was lying in her bed, awake from… the dreams, the dreams that never stopped, all about the bastard that never dies, telling her to kill the Sith son of a Sith who killed him. How she hated it, his nagging voice telling her she was not doing enough to avenge him, when she was doing everything in whatever power she had. These thoughts were enough to bring tears to her eyes, she let them fall, dropping _her_ emotional barrier and letting everything out, thankfully Kallisto was asleep in the bed across the room.

"_You know, don't you?" _ The voice called again, it seemed like _he_ was whispering right into her ear.

"Know what?" Mara asked, her voice choked up, his tormenting her was making her crazy.

"_That I can still keep contact with you… even though I am dead, that does not strike you as odd?"_

"Of course it does! But I don't care either way, I just want Ravan dead so you'll shut up."

"_Good girl Mara, as promised when he dies I will stop talking to you and give you peace."_

"Somehow I don't know if I can trust you anymore." Mara said wiping her wet face. "Somehow I don't know what my reasons were for wanting to kill Ravan in the first place, but then when you started talking they became clear."

"_Enough! You kill Ravan to avenge me, not because I am irritating you!"_

"You're doing more than irritating me Sidious, you're tormenting me. And I can't stand it!"

"_YOU—wait… someone is coming."_

Mara felt relief as Sidious went quiet at the sound of a light knock on the door. She recomposed herself and stood up, walking to the door to see Alecto.

"Yes?" Mara asked.

"Plans changed, meeting is now."

"What?"

"That's what I said, I thought you were calling the shots."

"That's what I though, I know I need Daala's help but it makes me sick when she does things like this! Sometimes I would just love to kick her around a little."

"Now there's the Mara I remember meeting on Cato." Alecto said. Mara frowned.

"Excuse me?"

"There's that old sarcasm, anger, bitterness, fire. Since I've seen you… you've mellowed out. Something wrong."

_Yes _

"No" Mara replied. _Other than the fact Sidious is tormenting me to kill Vader and Ravan I am peachy._

Alecto didn't seem convinced. "Well get ready we need to get there now."

"Fine, now are you going to wake up Kallisto or should I?"

"I guess I will, if I give her a cigarra and a cup of coffee she might not even be that angry."

"Maybe not."

"Well let's get ready."

XxX

Mara had thrown on her usual stealthy outfit, with her small blaster holstered at her shoulder and her lightsaber on her belt. Kallisto was in her red stretchy assassin suit, her smart disc clipped to her belt and her blaster pistols holstered there as well. Alecto led the way to the briefing room, it the door to it opened, there was nothing special about it other than its enormous size and table. Captains from every ship of their fleet were seated, each wearing a small microphone, to magnify their voice just so that everyone could hear it well. Mara, Kallisto, and Alecto took the three empty seats, each on a different part of the table, Mara got the lucky fortune to sit next to Daala, while Kallisto sat down next to an obese captain. On the table in front of her there was a small microphone, Mara snatched it up and clipped it to her shirt as Daala cleared her throat loudly.

"Now officially, Captain Pellaeon, what is your storey?" Daala asked, Mara was a bit surprised to hear these as her opening first words.

"Officially, Admiral Daala, my story is this; I was a crew person on the _Chimaera_ which was guarding the death star along with the rest of the fleet while the Emperor died, once word reached us the fleet divided, unorganized fighting broke out, during which my captain was killed—"

"Wait a moment." Mara chided in. "How exactly was your captain killed."

"I don't believe that is an issue at the point Mara—"

"But I do Captain Pellaeon, how was your captain killed?" Mara asked much more forcefully.

Captain Pellaeon sighed deeply. "He died when a blast hit our bridge from a ship loyal to Vader, he was thrown onto a broken terminal and he just… died, so I took over. Organizing the battle better, but still we were outnumbered, I gave to order to retreat into hyperspace, we made several random jumps and came out into the Cauldron Nebula, where we could not sense other ships on radar and they could not sense us."

"Then how exactly did you receive my beacon?" Daala asked curiously.

"I was out harassing an Imperial trade route at the time, and I was alerted to you sending one out."

"I see."

"And…?"

"And that is it." Pellaeon said. "Now how do you propose to gather more ships?"

"More will come, I am sure of it." Daala answered robotically. "But if not we will need to begin planning."

"That could take months."

"Perhaps we should get started then."

**_Ugh. This chapter is ridiculously long for an informational chapter only. I hope you didn't get board reading it, I certainly did typing it. That's never a good sign, but we all need it anyway._**


	15. The Power of Leia

**_Hello peoples, I present to you chapter 15 with action in it. But before you read please take the time to read the rest of this note. Please Review! I need feedback, plus I enjoy reading it and I would be very happy if I got more reviews that Unknown Son 1 had. Thanks to doreenthatshot and DarthGladiator45 for reviewin' it since the beginning! This chapter is for both of you since both of you seem to like my action sequences, this is kinda small, well not really but it has no lightsaber fighting. Now is the time for the readers to go "huh? Did he say no lightsaber fighting?" And now they say "will you shut up so I can read?!" And so read and review._**

Chapter 15: The Power of Leia

Leia had been training for the past three months, it was going more than well, so Vader said. In fact it was going more than perfect, it was going so great it could not be described in words. Leia's skill with the Force improved so much each day Vader actually wanted to take it slower. Leia has mastered the initial Force training in a month and a half, in the next month and a half she began more difficult training. She had mastered the technique of levitation long ago, as well as Force pushing and pulling, and the simpler mind trick during the initial training. Now she had also mastered Force Choke, Jump, and she was working hard an lightning, but so far all she could create were a few little sparks and a vast amount of heat. She had also mastered the simplistic, yet complicated art of meditation, Ravan was teaching her a new technique in meditation that gave her all the benefits of sleep in half the time, which she was using a lot at night now.

At the moment she was in her quarters. Meditating like Vader had told her. Everything was changing, she was gathering power quickly, she was hungry for more. She was becoming a Sith Lady, and when her training was done and she was sure she could do it she would destroy Vader and Ravan. And even her wardrobe had changed, she wore velvet midnight black robes with a hood, her hair divided into braids that hung down on her shoulders. And she carried a lightsaber on her belt, she was mastering the art of Makashi, Vader it seemed was a Djem So stylist, Ravan seemed to favor Makashi as well, but had some Djem So and even a little Juyo in his stance.

Just another month or so and she would be ready for Vader's test.

XxX

She was ready. It was now the end of her fourth month of training, and Vader had said himself she was ready, her test was today. Vader had not told her what it was, and Ravan seemed to be in the dark about it as well as she. Though knowing Vader she was going to have to fight someone. Maybe him, lightsaber combat probably, nothing difficult.

Ravan entered his sister's quarters to find her on her knees, in meditation posture on the floor. She looked up at him.

"Is it time?"

"It is." Ravan answered.

She nodded and stood up.

"Let's go."

They walked into the hall, silently. Keeping a quick pace they strode down it till they came to the arch that led into the throne room behind the turbo lift. It seemed to take Leia forever to reach Vader's custom chair, and with each step the butterflies in her stomach multiplied and her heart rate doubled. Finally she bowed before the monster who was her father, whom she would kill when her training was completed along with Ravan.

"Rise daughter." Vader said. "It is time for your test."

"What is my test father?" Leia asked smoothly, like her velvet robe.

"You and your brother will duel."

"Simple." Ravan said, chuckling a little.

"Without lightsabers." Vader added, and before either one could react both of their lightsabers unclipped themselves from their belts and flew to Vader, landing in each of his gloved hands.

"Bring it on." Leia said turning to Ravan. Ravan turned to her.

"Yeah."

"Bow." Vader ordered, both did. "Begin."

Ravan flipped back. A mistake, using the Force Leia wrapped it like a rope around a chair in front of Vader, then the other, when Ravan landed both flew at him. He dodged the first, it smashed into the wall behind it, the last he caught with the force, its frame broke, and the back and sitting part fell to the floor, along with four legs. Ravan called two of them to his hands, Leia the other two.

Leia made the first move, she flipped herself at Ravan, her black velvet robes swirling freely like they do in those old holonet programs. When Leia landed she moved fast and struck at Ravan's head with one leg, and his ankles with the other. Ravan's chair legs rose and fell greeting hers, they locked. A test of strength. Ravan pushed back into Leia's weapons, and Leia forward into his. Finally hers gave way, her chair legs fell into an X, a ready stance while Ravan's blew back behind him, leaving an opening.

Leia jabbed both lets into his stomach, promptly causing him to drop his weapons and clutch his throbbing abdomen. Leia dropped her own weapons and using her mind made all four his Ravan on the right side of his body. One his head, two his shoulder, three his side, four his ankles. Ravan toppled over to the left and rolled down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, Leia, not even lifting a hand to manipulate the Force used her mind to toss Ravan behind a control console that controlled something in the giant reactor pits surrounding the turbo lift.

Ravan toppled over the consoles and landed with a hard thudding whack. Leia descended the steps. Vader stood up to get a better look. When Leia reached to bottom Ravan's upper body reared over the consoles, he extended his hands and two ripped apart, he sent the sharp shards of metal and wire flying at Leia.

Vader from the top of the stairs felt nervousness as the pieces moved towards his daughter, and Ravan looked confident, Vader's nervousness grew as Leia didn't lift a finger, and then mere feet in front of her the pieces stopped, and she stood there controlling each one simultaneously with her mind. Vader's nervousness turned to utter shock as he felt the giant surge of Force power flow through Leia, completely bent to her will. It was like a hurricane, an earthquake, a tornado, a tsunami, and a bang of thunder and lightning all answering to Leia's call.

In unison every single shard of metal turned towards Ravan who had the same look on his face Vader did beneath the mask, the pieces flew at him. Putting his hands up he stopped the one's flying directly at him, the rest few past, some missing him widely, others narrowly, and a few nicking his legs and arms. Then even more shocking than the first display of power Leia grabbed the entire set of consoles behind her as well as a few pillars and launched them in a huge wave of Force at Ravan, so huge the windows shattered in the room, everything shook and the platform on which Vader stood shook.

Ravan barely dodged the flying objects up jumping over them. By then Leia was picking up their crushed remains and even more objects all by just standing there and using her mind. Feeling absolute power flow through her she launched an army of floating objects at Ravan from both sides, extending a hand in each direction her narrowly stopped the from hitting him, the others flew past crashing into each other or moving and smacking into opposite walls. Several even came toward Leia, who didn't even flinch. The objects stopped in midair and her veins popped up and her eyes turned red. The objects crushed into each other and tore into shards which began swirling around Leia and sending wind throughout the entire throne room blowing Ravan back into the pile of objects against the walls. The red robed guards at the turbo lifts were affect as well and each fell into a long deep reactor pit screaming on the way down.

Vader watched in awe, and horror as Leia's powers grabbed seven pillars right from under the ceiling and hurled each of them at Ravan who had the look of sheer terror on his face. Leia's veins popped more and her eyes turned dark, dark red almost black making her pupil almost combine with them.

It was like a punch in the chest in the Force, Leia's power, Force sensitive's across the entire galaxy could feel it, Mara jumped back on the _Gorgon_ when she felt it, a green little Jedi master on Dagobah was hit by a massive headache and fell down on the swampy ground, Vader almost lost his footing. And Ravan did the impossible, using every ounce of Force he had he propelled himself onto the catwalk above him as the pillars crashed into the wall and the entire palace and surrounding buildings shuddered.

Leia's eyes were now so dark red they were blacker than black, blacker than the blackest room in the blackest night in the darkest universe, they made the whiles of her eyes look like shining strobe lights.

Ravan plopped down onto the catwalk, force exhausted but Leia seemed intent to _kill_ him. The blots holding the catwalk up unscrewed themselves and fell to the floor with a thousand metal clinks. Then the entire catwalk dropped, luckily Ravan was not hurt. Leia leaped into the air and landed on the downed catwalk pressed her foot into her brother's neck.

"ENOUGH!!!" Vader cried.

It seemed Leia had had no control over herself the moment prior to Vader's loud outburst, but then her eyes retuned to normal, her veins sunk back into her smooth white skin and she looked down at Ravan triumphantly.

"I won."

"Impossible." Vader said quietly, but loud enough for Leia to hear. If you blinked you would have missed it, her eyes turned back to their hideous impossibly dark black, making the whites look like stars in the darkness, and her views popped out again, from far away she almost had a purple red tinge look to her as the color of the blood lines ran together over the whiteness of her skin.

"What is?" She rasped in a voice that was not her own. It had an echo quality to it, and was as smooth as her velvet robes, but as hard and raspy as the raging flood. It was like water, soft but hard. Nothing is soft as water, yet who can withstand the raging flood?

"The amount of power that is flowing through you now, that was flowing through you during the battle." Vader replied breathlessly. Leia returned to normal. He let his mask pump oxygen into his scarred lungs and spoke again. "It was as though you took control of the Force itself and had the power of every Jedi and Sith deceased or living. You became Marka Ragnos, Darth Bane, Darth Ravan, Master Qui-gon, Master Kenobi, Myself, Sidious, Ravan, and every other powerful and non powerful Force user at the same time. It's like nothing I have ever seen before, and you didn't even have to use your flesh to manipulate it, even though the Force is only manipulated by it, you used your mind, something every Sith and Jedi dreams of accomplishing, yet your training is barely half done. You are still an apprentice. It is impossible for you to be able to do such a thing. Even Darth Sidious could not, no Sith or Jedi could. You do not even need a weapon. You could destroy the entire Imperial district of Coruscant with your mind. How did you feel when you had that power flowing through you?"

Leia took her foot off Ravan's neck, he sat up and coughed and Leia fell down next to him.

"I… felt empowered beyond words, like I could save the universe, or destroy it completely and utterly."

"You…" Ravan coughed. "nearly… destroyed me… completely… and utterly."

Leia felt his rage, as did Vader.

"Do not be angry at your sister Ravan." Vader said in a venomous voice. "Respect her and fear her, she is more powerful than you or I can ever dream of becoming."

Ravan stood up and huffed, walking out of the throne room promptly rage seething in him and flowing like poison through his veins.

"Can you do that again?" Vader asked.

"Not now." Leia replied breathlessly. "I'm, I'm trying but it's like it has a will of its own."

"Perhaps it is a dormant power, it awakens when you are being attacked, or feel great anger. Like a normal power surge a Sith Lord might feel during combat but multiplied a thousand times over. It's like the Force itself works through you and gives you all its power."

"It is…" Leia gulped. "Dangerous?"

"Potentially." Vader replied. "When you were using to power your appearance changed, your veins, your eyes… were like nothing I have ever seen, like light and dark, like good and evil together in the Force, but evil was dominant. It could… with over use potentially rip you apart. You saw what the Emperor looked like, that was from his power in the Force, it was constantly eating his body it was so dark. But perhaps with your power comes protection. It's as though the Force uses you as its vessel, to display its power."

"Yeah." Leia agreed.

"We… we are done for the day. Go rest my daughter, while I get a repair crew in here."

"No." Leia said quickly. "Let me… let me try."

"No! It could be dangerous Leia, you could destroy yourself or me or Coruscant for that matter."

Leia seemed to get angry, her eyes darkened again and her veins popped. And then everything clicked itself back together. A tornado of objects flew through to throne room and everything returned to normal. The catwalk floated up and the screws twisted themselves in, the pillars floated back and blended seamlessly with the rips and gashes in the ceiling, every piece of glass from the windows pulled back together and blended fixing the windows. Even the chairs put themselves back together. Nothing looked like it had even been touched. Leia returned to normal and walked out, leaving Vader to gape and stare in awe at his fixed throne room and Leia's awesome, and awful powers.

_**Creepy stuff 'eh? I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed typing it. I'm not sure why but I just felt like making Leia the most powerful Force user ever, something original.**_


	16. The Gathering

**_From how my plot looks right now this chapter deals with a lot of things, it has the potential to be quite long, but I am not going to say it will be and then it turns out short. But it has the potential to be quite long. And a lot of questions are brought up. Or at least a big one, just read._**

Chapter 16: The Gathering

Two Months after Previous Chapter

It had taken her the best of five months, Daala, to gather a sizeable fleet. It now consisted of 60 capitol ships, and hundreds of thousands of TIE Fighters and bombers. Forty ships were Imperial Class Star Destroyers, the other twenty were a mix. 10 are Victory Class Star Destroyers, about half the size of the Imperial Class, 7 are Tartan Patrol Cruisers which equal Corellian Corvettes in size and the remaining three were Interdictor Class Star Destroyers, a little longer than Victory Class, Interdictor class housed four generators which created a cone of gravity with a wide range in space, stopping enemy ships from jumping to hyperspace. These Interdictor Class ships were also more heavily armored than most, and they had an upgraded arsenal of turbo lasers and ion cannons since those three were actually a fleet that broke away from Vader.

Daala, Pellaeon, and Kratas were commanders over the fleet. Daala had appointed Pellaeon and Admiral, and Kratas was not Vice Admiral.

Mara was in her usual cabin on the _Gorgon_ studying the schematics of Interdictor Class ships, one thing the former Emperor always taught her. Know your weapons, know their weaknesses because one day they may turn on you. And Vader and Ravan were both living proof of that. She hated them so, but she was beginning to doubt the reason why. At first she hated them for leaving her with nothing, utterly nothing but the clothes she had and weapons. But now it seemed she hated them because the voice nagging at her never left her alone. She wasn't so sure she wanted to kill them herself now, well she did but now only to make the former Emperor's voice stop.

The door to her quarters shot open, she turned her data pad off and whirled around on her chair, expecting to see either Kallisto or Daala enter, or maybe Nigel who had been to a rehab center in one of the star destroyers and quit drinking, or half did, he was still going through it. His new habit was drinking non alcoholic fruity, fruity, very fruity beverages. But to Mara's surprise, or not Alecto came in.

"Hey." Alecto said.

"What is it now?" Mara asked. "Another smuggler complaint Daala wants me to help deal with?"

"No, nothing like that, actually the captains of every ship in the fleet have come aboard the _Gorgon_ and Daala called a conference. She's got the plans to cover vaguely and some sixty first ship."

"We got another one?" Mara asked gladly, though her voice didn't show it.

"Yeah, no word from Daala on what type or where she is keeping it."

"Okay then, we'd better go."

"There's… one more thing." Alecto said nervously as Mara stood up and flipped her red mane to the side.

"What?"

"I heard someone yesterday, finishing listing off every ship in Daala's force to someone… it was Kallisto."

"What in the hell do you mean by that?!" Mara asked in shock. Kallisto couldn't be a spy, or some sort of double agent. There was no way, she was a smuggler from Cato Neimoidia. People even knew about her on Tatooine, if she was a spy Vader and his cronies sure went through a lot of trouble arranging for her a solid identity, or an alias.

"I mean I believe Kallisto might… possibly be a spy." Alecto answered quietly.

"How? What—you worked with her for a long time! How could she be working for someone else right under your nose?!"

"Well think about it!" Alecto snapped. "How does she have all the answers? How does she somehow know about the Imperials and Mourth Doole? How does she know how to trade with Imperials? Her storey was never that solid Mara, surely you know that. First she says she deals with Imperials, but not directly. Then—"

"Shouldn't you have realized she was working for the Imperials a long time before now then? All this circumstantial evidence you have? Well!"

"I've suspected it, this call she made just proves it Mara, damn it! I need you on my side. We have to make sure she's not feeding Vader intel on our operations."

Mara took a deep breath, and let it flow out slowly. Speaking in a much more calm voice she said: "I'm on your side. Agreed, we watch Kallisto."

XxX

Did it always have to happen this way? The briefing room was filled to the point of overflowing with captains from each of Daala's ships. Mara and Alecto were the last to enter the meeting room after an obese captain. Kallisto was there with her legs crossed and her red hair tied up into a messy bun. Captain Zax sat opposite her and General Derevko next to her. Mara sat down somewhere near Daala and a few gruff looking men. As the Admiral cleared her throat to speak Mara noticed something odd. And it was so very small she wondered if it was her imagination. Kallisto's arm reached up to her right shoulder to rub it, or perhaps it was feigned, when it came down there was a small blink of light emitted from the shoulder of her red suit, and nothing else happened.

Mara kept her eyes on Kallisto, and when Kallisto turned her head to look at her Mara took her eyes off. What was that light? She reflected on what Alecto has said… if Kallisto was a spy then that could very well have been some sort of recording or listening device. Mara considered reaching for her EMP pistol, if it was indeed a bug or listening device and she shot it with an electro magnetic pulse it would short out, it if was a small device maybe even explode, but she didn't.

Daala began to speak.

"Welcome commanders. As you know we have been creating plans for our attack on Coruscant for the past three months. Our plans are almost finalized and as long as we stick with them we might have a good chance of accomplishing our mission. But I'm not going to lie to you. We stand a snowballs chance on Mustafar of defeating Vader's armies. Yes we do have quite a big fleet, but Vader is in control of more ships than we are. I have no doubt that Vader will call any ships he can spare when we attack him that is why we have maybe a three hour timeline to get this done in. Here is our plan. We're going to neutralize two prime targets with one swift stroke. My scientists in the Maw Cluster have analyzed their plans of the Death Star. We have found a weakness.

"There is a small thermal exhaust port right below the main port of the Death Star's main reactor which as we know supplies the power of its laser. Now this shaft is no more than two meters wide, and it is ray shielded so we will use proton torpedoes. The shaft comes up at the end of a trench, if we can launch even one proton torpedo down it then we can cause a chain reaction which will destroy the station. We will outfit two flight wings of twenty four TIE interceptors with proton torpedoes, which means we have twenty four chances to destroy the station.

"The interceptors will be escorted by an entire attack wing of TIE fighters which is seventy two as well as sixty TIE bombers to take out the stations turbo lasers in the area."

"Isn't that a bit of a sacrifice?" A captain asked. "Sending out an entire attack wing of TIE fighters when a standard Imperial Star Destroyer carries only that many?"

"No." Daala replied. "We may lose ships yes, but we need each of those seventy two fighters to keep other TIE fighters off our interceptor's and bomber's backs. In addition we will send ten of our Imperial class Star Destroyers to fight off the Death Star's guard fleet, the rest of our ships will siege Coruscant. Vader will be forced to divide his forces here."

"An excellent plan." A captain said.

"Thank you." Daala replied quickly. "Once we get a clear path we will send Kallisto, Alecto, and Mara Jade along with an army of highly trained smugglers into the Imperial palace to take out Vader."

"Wait a moment." A captain said.

"What?" Daala asked with just a hint of frustration.

"What about Vader's flagship the _Executor_, we have nothing that can match its fire power."

Daala's eye brows and face noticeably twitched with somewhat of a passionate evil, or something. She smiled.

"I have an answer to that." Daala said. "May I direct your attention out of the window, above Kessel, look. What do you see?"

"Nothing Admiral." A captain said.

"There are no stars there, in that spot." Mara pointed out. When each captain took a closer look it suddenly became noticeable, there were no stars above Kessel.

"Now." Daala said quietly into a comm.

And then hundreds of thousands of little lights light the black space above Kessel and the outline of a great mammoth black super star destroyer appeared. Mara could almost hear the sounds of the traitor Imperials screaming as the huge ship vaporized them.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Daala said. "May I present to you the only other super star destroyer I know of ever finished. _Night Hammer_, which I have renamed _Knight Hammer_ with a K. This is my new capitol ship. As you can see it has stealth capabilities. This ship will be a key piece in taking Coruscant."

The room filled the light sound of gloved hands clapping. Mara did nothing but stare with a glinting eye smile on her face. Let all run in fear of the _Knight Hammer._

"Who the hell was stupid enough to give that up?" Kallisto asked.

"A young captain." Daala replied. "Originally the ship was supposed to belong to an Admiral but the captain decided to break away from the Empire when Vader took over. The ship is now mine. It is my flagship. With it we will take Coruscant."

**_It just wouldn't be Daala without the Knight Hammer. NOTE: Also in my plot I am in the perfect position, I think, to make an Unknown Son 3. It is possible this could happen, and I'll be able to have a Ravan/ Mara relationship as well, possibly. But I need to know now whether or not any of you would read it because I can either leave it open for a sequel, or I can close the Unknown Son series completely and begin work on other projects. Review your answers._**


	17. The Labyrinth of Darkness

_**Okay, let me take a quick moment of your time. Now, I am sure you will like this chapter. Know why? Because one night when I finished typing it I was tired and went to be, when I went to bed I wanted to go back and type this chapter which tells me that I liked typing it which makes me think you will like it. It is an action test thingy, created out of the pure Sith Master2019 madness you love so much. Well I'm not sure its madness but... **_

Chapter 17: The Labyrinth of Darkness

Leia was ready, after training for five months every day she ought to be. Even as she meditated on the floor of her room she felt the power of the dark side coursing through her veins. Soon she would be ready to launch her endgame and kill Vader and Ravan. She was the most powerful Force user in the galaxy now. She could do anything. She opened her closed eyes which had taken on a yellow tinge as she gained more and more power, a laughter had forced her eyes open. One that was loud and cracked that came from everywhere and no where.

She sensed the Force condense in front of her and the dark, black outline of a man in a cloak appeared. Leia knew who he was. He continued laughing.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"To tell you that you are almost ready." The former Emperor rasped.

"I know that now. I'm sorry you wasted a trip all the way from the netherworld of the Force just to tell me that." Leia snapped sarcastically.

The former Emperor laughed again.

"You become more and more Sith everyday. Your powers are unlimited, you control the entire Force. I am eager to learn that power."

"I will not teach you."

"You cant teach me you mean. You cannot even control the power yourself. But when I learn it I will be able to."

"You're full of it."

The Emperor just laughed again.

"Why did you come here?"

"I have to tell you something."

"Speak quickly then."

"There will be an inevitable attack on Coruscant."

Leia's eyebrows raised, even she had not sensed this. Nor Vader, nor Ravan, though she doubted Ravan could sense his want out of his own house.

"Who is leading it?"

"A rouge Admiral, loyal to me. I have manipulated Mara Jade to make her do it. This will give you to opportunity to kill Vader. Mara will be your only ally."

"I don't need her."

The Emperor paused for a moment. "Neither do I after the attack begins. Very well, you may destroy her as well."

"I don't need your permission. Go away now. Leave me alone."

The former Emperor laughed a final time, and disappeared. Leia's expression changed to a white toothed smile which contrasted fully with her dark velvet robes. If there was going to be an attack on Coruscant it would indeed give her the perfect chance. Vader would raise his shields against the onslaught of this rouge admiral, and be vulnerable to a stab in the back. And then a silent alarm went off in Leia's mind, followed by a chime from her chrono which read 1800 hours. The time Vader had given her to meet with him for her final test. She stood up and almost floated out of the room quietly, and gracefully.

XxX

Leia came into her fathers throne room, surprised to see only him gazing out the window, he was unguarded. The usual red robed guards were no where to be seen. By the Force it would be so easy just to push him out of that window with a simple thought… but no. Now was not the right moment. As she walked further into the throne room and toward the steps a thought hit her like a sandperson's gaffi stick. Where was Ravan? But she didn't get time to answer her own thought as she ascended the last step on the platform which held Vader's chair and Vader spoke.

"Welcome my daughter." He said without turning around.

"Hello daddy." Leia replied cordially.

"It is time for you to prove to me you have learned the strength of the Sith." Vader said ignoring the fact he had just been addressed as 'daddy'.

"Is that why Ravan isn't here? Is he masking his presence, hiding up in the catwalks?" Leia asked casually, looking up and perhaps expecting to see Ravan leap down and activate a lightsaber. But he didn't.

"I thought you would know exactly where Ravan is, with all of the power you have."

"I wouldn't even attempt to channel it to something as small as that father. You yourself said I should refrain from using it, and use only what I can handle."

"You have learned." Vader said approvingly. "Yes, use your full amount of power only in the uttermost end of need. Use what you can handle for regular tasks and duels."

"Yes father." Leia said with an inner smile. She was going to rip both Ravan and Vader apart with that power, even if it ripped her apart in the process.

"Now for your test." Vader said finally turning. "The former Emperor had a series of escape tunnels under this palace, and they were connected to a training maze which he used to test his assassins. I have taken that training maze and made it much more deadly. I have released a dozen badly mutated humans into it, from the Emperor's bio lab. They are deadly, and in order to complete the test you must get past them and to the end of the maze where you will find your new Sith lightsaber. Once you have it the way out will become clear. You will go down unarmed. You will use only the Force to make it through the maze. There are many things down there you can use as weapons however. But starting you will use only the Force. Is this understood?"

"Yes."

"And you will keep control of the Force, you will not let it control you as it did during your duel with Ravan."

"Yes."

"Then good luck my daughter." Vader said, he snapped his fingers. Leia watched as a button on his throne was pressed by an invisible finger and then—

She fell, she fell forever. Into darkness, into a pit. She looked up to see the round opening she had fallen through close. She was building up terminal velocity, Vader had betrayed her! He was going to kill her. But then a cool computer voice sounded and echoed through the pit.

"Anti gravity generator online. Lowering to ninety percent."

Leia began to fall slower as the pull of gravity on her body weakened. But still at this speed she could die.

"Eighty percent." The voice announced.

Leia began to slow up even more.

"Sixty percent." The computer voice blared.

Leia wondered momentarily what happened to seventy. She was falling much slower now.

"Thirty percent."

Now she was falling about as fast as a person walks. Force when was she just going to land?

"Gravity back online, one hundred percent." The computer announced.

"Excuse me?" Leia screamed aloud, and then she reached the end of her fall, and splashed softly into very, very warm water. She went down about six feet, and began to swim back up, giving her legs a workout. But just when she was about to break the surface her legs gave out. She couldn't go any more. Her robes were to heavy. They pulled her down. Her lungs ached for air. She was going to die now. But no! She was not going to give up and die before she even reached the maze! Grabbing the collar of her robe she tugged hard and it ripped down the middle, leaving her in her much lighter undergarments, which was a large black one piece almost bathing suit type thing. She broke the surface, gulping mouthfuls of air. Her legs waved back and forth in the water to keep her up above the surface.

When she caught her breath she laughed. This was the Emperor's escape tunnel? Or perhaps Vader had modified it and put water it and she was actually supposed to hit ground lightly instead of water. Her thoughts were confirmed as makeshift water jets activated, pumping in freezing cold water, so cold small chunks of ice began to hit her legs. She shivered. She had to get out before… well before she died. She reached out with her senses. She was six feet above the bottom of the pit. There was a way out at the bottom, about a eight yard hallway that led to a small staircase. The hallway was filled with water, but it stopped at the top of the steps. She had to go now. The water was freezing rapidly, it now had to be only fifty degrees, if it got down to thirty, and the jets kept shooting out ice it might… the ice might condense together and freeze. She dived down with speed, using the Force to feel her way around, she found the hallway and began to swim down it.

It felt like a punch in the stomach when she reached halfway, the water was bitterly, bitterly cold here. Leia guessed only twenty degrees. But ignored it and continued on, trying to keep her breath held. Only a yard to go. Then her worst fears were realized when three chunks of ice smacked into different places on her body. The ice was condensing together. She went on, fast. Her toes felt numb, and she had no feeling in her hands. Her face felt like someone was holding a pack of ice on it in a room below zero degrees. And then her hand hit a step, she swam up and broke the surface of the water, pulling her self out she collapsed on the hallway floor, shivering uncontrollably. And then some warm air kicked on, making her body burn like the fires on hell. She curled up against the wall, hiding her face inside her arms. But it wasn't over yet.

Vader had definitely installed a water system because little sprinklers on the ceiling began pumping it in. It was in truth only about seventy degrees, which is warm, but not so warm. Warm enough to be comfortable in. Leia was anything but that. The water felt like acid on her cold skin. She opened her eyes and stood up, there were red glow sticks attacked to the wall. At least she was able to see where she was going. She took off, trying to cover her head from the water that felt incredibly hot. Twice she nearly slipped, but kept on going, until she warmed up. She slowed her pace and the water stopped. That part of the test was done, thank the Force.

Continuing down the hall, her wet light boots slapping the wet floor she reached out with the Force, using her mind to feel the area around her. The hallway it seemed continued on only about fifteen yards, and it was blocked off at the end, apparently the training maze was only a little further down. It wasn't quite big but—and then she literally lost it when she came within five feet of the entrance to the maze. She lost the sense of her surroundings, yet she felt the Force flowing through her.

"_It's something I invented." _Vader's voice said in her mind. _"On the planet Myrkr there are little insects called ysalamiri, they cast a bubble around them, in which the Force is unusable. My scientists have found a way to isolate the gene in the ysalamiri which controls than and they were able to break it down and make it weaker. They have put this into a serum that sinks into the pores of your skin, which is why you were sprayed with water, once it gets into your blood stream it affects the use of the Force. We have found in our studies that typically when a Jedi or Sith begins to lose a slight bit of connection to the Force, their sense of surroundings is the first thing to go. That is why you can no longer sense what is around you, it makes the maze all more difficult. Luckily your connection to the Force is not totally gone, you still have the power to sense danger, or to manipulate objects and sense things in battle. So good luck my daughter."_

Perfect Leia thought as she entered the maze. It was as dark as a black cat on a moonless and starless night. There was some lighting however, purple glow sticks were attached in about five foot intervals on the ceiling, giving the maze a dark and dank feeling. As Leia began to traverse its passages and come to dead ends she found Vader did not lie. There were indeed many objects lying around she could use as weapons, they ranged from old milk processors, and small moisture gathers, to broken steel pipes and assorted discarded droid limbs, particularly the left arms of protocol droids and the right wheeled legs of R1 to R4 units. Leia picked up a long steel pipe with one extremely jagged end, like the teeth of a krayt dragon on Tatooine. Heading down another passage a sound hit her eardrums that was so utterly terrible her legs nearly gave out below her. It was a screech, but no ordinary human or animal screech. It was a mixture of claws scratching a sythchalkboard, and of a baby krayt dragons cry for its mother, but it also had a human quality to it, and a bloodcurdling cat roar. All these things mixed together like…….. hybrid genes into one screech, one high pitched terrifying screech.

Only one this could be more terrible than it, and that was what came around the corner next. It looked like a person, sort of, a person who was six foot tall and had a horrible mutation. It was hunched, with a giant lump on its back the size of Vader's throne, slime was oozing out of its oversized skin pores, so giant and huge Leia would have no trouble inserting the butt of her lightsaber hilt into it. The its two most disgusting and terrifying features were its face, and claws.

Its head was potato shaped with dozens of over sized pores on the top of its bald head. Its eyes were two beady black diamonds with the look of a murderer in them, its nose had been crushed flat against its face with two little slits instead of nostrils which were gushing black… blood, and its mouth was a straight line. It pulled back its lips and smiled at Leia, almost and showed two rows of incredible silver white and straight lined jagged teeth, each about the size of Leia's big toenail.

And its claws, it had claws on each of its ten unnaturally long fingers, and on each of its stubby toes. The claws on its fingers stretched out the length of Leia's lightsaber hilt times two, how she wish she had the weapon now, and the claws on its feet looked like jagged knifes, they were literally smooth and sharp on one side, and jagged on the other. And to top all of these horrible qualities off the beast itself was an infernal dark red color. Its beady eyes looked at Leia and glinted. This was one of the mutants Vader spoke about.

The creature screeched again and ever more chilling screeches came back in return, each one unique, but all equally as terrible and before Leia knew it two more mutants rounded the corner. One looked a lot like a racor with melted skin and shorter but sharper claws. The other looked like a human crossed with a black panther, its eyes slits, but the mutant Leia has seen first was a hell of a lot creepier. Leia grasped her steel pipe firmly and stuck it out like a pike.

"Come and get some you ugly—" But Leia couldn't finish her sentence as the horrible potato headed one screech, and some slime dripped to the floor.

The panther one charged at Leia, running on all fours. Using the Force Leia tossed seven different objects at her. Three steel pipes, a knife, a broken milk processor and two items that were so incredibly sharp twisted and jagged it was anyone's guess what they were. The knife hit the giant feline first, right where the human's thigh would be and it stabbed in with a sickening flesh ripping sound. The cat fell and roared like a lion, and the twisted items smashed into it cutting it even more, the milk processor bounced off its head and Leia used the Force to stab it with the three metal pipes, forming a perfect bloody triangle in its chest.

Here eyes flicked back to the uglier two. The potato headed slimy one sort of whimpered, and the rancor looking one with melted skin shrieked in fury. Leia shut it up bay willing a discarded metal pole through its melted chest. The slimy one watched it fall. It looked at Leia and formed what looked like a malice filled smile on its hideous face. With a clawed hand it grabbed the metal pole from its fellow mutants chest and hurled it straight at Leia like a spear, and it came so fast she barely had time to tap into the Force and stop it, by the time she did the thing had grabbed two more poles and apparently decided with wasn't such a good idea the get more lethal weapons into the air Leia could hurl at it with her mind.

It charged like an oncoming bull. Leia mentally punched it in the groin but nothing happened, it was like that slime coat was armor. It reached Leia and struck at her with the two poles. She blocked one and it snapped in half from corrosion, the creature dropped it and pulled the other back, swinging it with all of its might. Leia swung hers too and both collided with an echoing metallic clang that echoed through the maze and made more mutants howl. Leia was thrown back by the force of the blow and her metal pole literally shattered. The creatures arm simple blue back, but it lost its grip on its weapon and it flew into the wall and stuck there with a layer of slime holding it on.

The creature ran at Leia who was on the ground, lying on her back. In a last ditch effort she smashed her foot into the creature's gut… and it held it and fell over on her, knocking the air out of her lungs. Reaching out with the Force she grabbed every shard of her shattered metal pole and stabbed them into the creatures head, killing it. Her head fell backwards onto the floor, covered totaling in slime and blood, her hair was matted so flat onto her head by the slime that her chocolate hair looked like a painting, and the rest of her body was covered in black blood. She got her hands free from under the creature and attempted to wipe the slime from her head but failed miserably. Using the Force she propelled the creature off her and onto the cat thing, there was a sickening splat and crunch as the creature landed on the other and both of their bones broke.

Leia stood up, she was totally covered in slime, her one piece undergarment was hugging her tighter than the leather dress she had once worn for an Alderaainian feast. But she had to move on, she ran down the hall of the maze and right when she turned, what looked like a giant hairless gorilla with a spiked tail tackled her into the wall with such force everything went blurry for a moment, and when it came back into focus her head was throbbing as hard as her heart was beating. The creature it seemed had hit its head hard too.

Using the Force she launched it off her and it smashed into the ceiling making a giant crack, the end off a plasteel pipe fell to the floor and clattered loudly and some sort of liquid dripped from the hole and hit the creature which seemed to make it sit up and rub its head. Leia didn't let it to anything else. She grabbed something heavy and threw it at it. The thing smashed into the hairless ape's head and the thing was knocked unconscious. Leia stood up and took a deep, calming, cleansing breath. She headed toward the hairless mutated primate and grabbed the pastel pipe that had fallen, whatever the ceiling was dripped hit her hair and cleaned a bit of the slime off, but it smelled like… there is no word to describe it, but there are a few, it smelled, horribly, sickeningly, hellishly, bad.

She stepped out of its path and plunged the bent part of the pipe into the creatures chest. It gave a cough and fell limp. Leia's knees buckled from exhaustion, she fell to the ground near the dead ape and splashed into a puddle of the liquid. This was a horrible test, but she had to go on. She had to pass and kill that monster ruling the galaxy. She stood up, let the Force refresh her and headed off.

After another hour of wandering through the maze she found its end, a shiny metal door that she assumed could only be opened by the Force, several dirty claw marks were etched into it and there was a big dent where, she assumed the hairless ape had punched it. Luckily the ysalamiri had worn off a while ago and she was able the sense the maze somewhat, and at least avoid the creatures.

Using the Force she opened the door and leaped in onto a cold marble floor. Falling to it with a splat from the slime. She rolled over and examined the room. It was black, with a semi bright light in the center of the ceiling. The floor was marble and the walls were… something. There was a stone table in the middle of the room, and on it sat a lightsaber. Her lightsaber.

The thought of this banished her fatigue and she stood up and went for the lightsaber, and out of nowhere Ravan jumped down in front of her and activated his own.

"Hey sister, you're looking well."

"You're full of it." Leia spat back.

"A bit snippy aren't we?"

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO ME ABOUT SNIPPY! SNIPPY is the least I could be. I was attacked by some slimy potato head, a cat, a bald monkey with a tail, and a baby rancor with melted skin! Don't you dare tell me I'm snippy because I swear I will kick you ass!" Leia screamed.

"Touched a nerve, did I?"

Leia's lips formed a thin line, her veins began popping out of her while skin and her eyes turned so dark red they almost looked black, chunks of the wall ripped themselves off and _fell _to the ceiling, Leia's lightsaber came to her hand and the table it had stood on shattered into tiny sharp pigments of stone that began swirling around the room.

"Don't antagonize me." Leia warned in a soft snakelike voice.

Ravan activated his lightsaber.

"Come on sis."

Leia struck fast and the battle was over before it began, she cut right through Ravan's lightsaber hilt, kicked him in the groin and Force pushed him right into the wall. The chunks of wall fell to the floor, the stone pigments of the table fell, and Leia's lightsaber deactivated. The _wall_ then split open, and Vader walked in, his breathing echoing through the room.

He turned his head toward Ravan who was on the ground curled up. He shook his head slightly.

"My son, all anger, no brains." Vader said. "Don't antagonize the most powerful Force user there is."

He turned to Leia.

"Speaking of which HOW DARE YOU DIRECTLY DISOBEY MY DIRECT AND SHORT ORDER TO _**NOT** _LET THE FORCE TAKE CONTROL OF YOU LIKE THAT!!!"

"It was entirely his fault father. He antagonized me, making me angry and the Force acted on that."

"YOU COULD HAVE _KILLED _HIM!"

"_Do not antagonize me either father." _Leia hissed in that voice that was not her own. _"It is not my fault. Ravan knows what I am capable of, he should not have done that."_

Ravan uncurled himself only to be kicked in the groin again by Vader.

"YOU IDIOT! You know what your sister is capable of, and you know it could destroy her as well as you as well as… CORUSCANT! Do not antagonize her again or you will find my lightsaber burning a hole in your chest."

"Isn't it the way of the Sith however," Leia began. "To constantly fight for superiority, and whoever is stronger should kill the weaker?"

"Indeed, but not your brother." Vader replied. "And… you are now a Sith."

**_Cool. This is my longest chapter by far. 4019 words without the little note. Now be honest, was that like sickening and thrilling enough for you? I've always wanted to write horrors and thrillers but I think my gift in writing is action, not suspense and stuff. So was this suspenseful? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm? _**


	18. The Game Begins

_**HUGE NOTE, PLEASE READ: It seems alerts are not working, again, and I am no longer receiving chapter alerts, review alerts, or any type of alerts. I can still check my reviews by going to the stories review page so keep 'em coming, anyone else having the damn same problem? This is really starting to tick me off, this happened already, last month I believe, when I was typing Unknown Son 1 or the beginning of 2. And I'm not ignoring you if I don't reply to your reviews, or if you Private Message me and I don't return its because my alerts are not working! Thank you, also the only reason I post this chapter so early is to tell you this.**_

**_ Since alerts are not working for me they probably are not for you so here is a quick review reply._**

**_ doreenthatshot: Yes Kallisto and Callista do sound a bit alike, I never intended it to be that way, Kallisto was simply a name I found on an internet site that I needed for the character._**

Chapter 18: The Game Begins

The _Knight Hammer_ was a beautiful weapon. Sleek and black like a dagger of death. Let all run in fear of it. It was a mammoth giant, worth twenty times that of a regular star destroyer, Imperial Class. It was so enormously big that half of it was commanded by auto command systems in which the techs on the bridge could program in commands, such as fire the auto starboard turbo lasers or something. Its bridge was big too. The crew pits were the size of a regular star destroyers time three. Everything was controlled there, it was like the giant brain of this monster.

If that was the case then Mara stood looking out of the head's eyes, with the brain cells working busily behind her. Crappy metaphor she thought. She stared over the vast ship, like a black city of turbo lasers, ion cannons and other weaponry. Daala approached her from behind.

"Magnificent, isn't she?" Daala asked with passion, gazing across the ship herself.

"Yes. We'll pound the hell out of those traitors with this." Mara replied.

"Indeed we will. Sooner than you might think too. Our plans are finalized Mara, we're ready to move."

Mara turned around, her hair flipped into her face like fire. She was supposed to be notified of every single little step of progress! She had put in the request for it in the council of captains and everyone unanimously agreed.

"Why wasn't I informed of this?" Mara asked loudly. "I am supposed to be informed on everything! Everything! What moron forgot to pass the info along to me? I swear I'll rip his heart out!"

"You didn't get the information? Strange. Kallisto was assigned to tell you."

The feeling came back, the one she had when Alecto had first suggested Kallisto was a spy. As much as Mara didn't want to believe it this further proved her point, like in the meeting room when Kallisto pressed something on her shoulder. A bug.

"Never mind it then." Mara said quickly. "I'll talk to her later. Fill me in then."

"Certainly. Vice Admiral Kratas has assumed control of the _Gorgon_. He will be taking it along with nine other ships to the Death star and destroy it. A few hours after Kratas and his attack group jump to hyperspace we'll go to Coruscant and launch our attack. That way Vader will probably have sent all his ships to investigate the Death Star. We'll jam his communications when we exit hyperspace. By then Kratas will have destroyed the Death Star and be on his way to help us."

"A well conceived plan." Mara said. "While Vader's cronies investigate the Death Star we attack Coruscant and jam the communications so Vader cant send a distress call, and when word reaches his reinforcements he'll already be dead. A lot should convert to our side then and those that don't we will kill, correct?"

"Yes." Daala replied nodding. She looked down at the comm officer.

"Yes Admiral?"

"Patch me in on the ship-to-ship comm channel. It is time to begin."

"Yes Admiral." The man replied, and began rerouting channels and getting everything working. A thought crossed Mara's mind. Did everyone always have to say "Yes Admiral"? Couldn't they mix it up a bit, like "Right away Admiral", or "It will be done oh great Admiral Daala"? While Mara was contemplating this Daala stepped in front of the officer microphone.

"This is Admiral Daala." Daala said. Her voice boomed throughout every ship in the fleet. "The time has come. Now we launch our final attack on Coruscant. Vice Admiral Kratas, jump to hyperspace when ready. Admiral Pellaeon, report to the _Knight Hammer _bridge at once. We will be jumping into hyperspace approximately an hour after Vice Admiral Kratas does, we must prepare now. Commence formation plan delta. That is all."

"It has begun." Mara said.

"Yes." Admiral Daala replied. "In an hour Mara, we will go."

"I heard you. Now I'm going to go have chat with Kallisto."

"Kick her once for me. I am so tired of her organic cigarras."

XxX

"Get out of here Nigel!" Mara commanded loudly as she stormed into her quarters, Kallisto was examining her smart disc and Nigel was drinking a non alcoholic beverage. At the sound of Mara's voice he spilled it all over himself.

"Damn it woman!" He cried. "You expect me to leave with this crap all over me?!"

"Do laundry." Mara hissed back.

"How about you—"

"Nigel don't start! I am madder than a gundark without a mate, if you don't shut up the so help me I will shoot you!"

"Where?" Nigel asked as if weighing the pros and cons of getting shot in certain places.

"You'll never be able to have children, lets just say, and you could potentially die."

"Goodbye." Nigel said quickly leaping out of the room.

Once the door had closed behind him and the room was completely sealed away from the rest of the ship Kallisto stood up.

"So what is—"

But she never finished her sentence as Mara rammed her into the wall. Her smart disc clattered to the floor and she coughed as Mara pressed her elbow against her neck.

"What the hell is—"

"Shut up." Mara snapped, slapping her. "Amateur."

"What did you just call me?" Kallisto coughed.

"You think you're going to get away with it?"

"Away with what? Get your damn arm off my neck!"

Mara took her arm off Kallisto's neck and instead wrapped a hand around it.

"Don't play stupid with me! I know you're passing intel and information to Vader or somebody!" Mara yelled shaking with rage.

"What proof do you have?"

"None, but I swear by the Force if you do anything to incriminate yourself I will kill you on the spot with your own stupid Frisbee!"

"It's a smart disc."

"Smarter than you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I have no idea!" Mara screamed. "Stop frustrating me! I swear Kallisto, if anyone dies any ship explodes, Vader is tipped off and I have any halfway concrete evidence pointing to you I will gut you like an animal. I'll give you a sedative that paralyzes you so you can feel and see what is happening to you but you can't cry out. I'll dunk you in a damn vat of acid!"

"That's—that's all good and fine but could you take your cold hands off my neck?!"

Mara released Kallisto and she feel to the floor, coughing. Her sharp eyes snapped up at Mara. Both were sweating and looked so furious that no one should have a hard time believing that if Nigel entered the room Mara would pull out her blaster, holstered on her arm, and shoot him. No words spoken.

Kallisto's eyes were shining.

"You do that." She said. "You just try to find evidence that I'm some sort of traitor. But if you try and kill me I swear you'll be dead before you can even touch a weapon."

"Then our confrontation will be interesting."

"If dying interests you."

XxX

Moff Jerjerrod of the Death Star stood on his command bridge, gazing out of the only deep triangular window within its walls. He took a deep breath, feeling the awesome power of this death machine around him.

"Moff Jerjerrod sir!" an officer piped up.

"Yes officer?"

"I read ten signals ready to come out of hyperspace."

Jerjerrod turned and walked beside the officer. Indeed ten signals were going to come out of hyperspace, ETA twenty seconds.

"Let's see what we have here then." Jerjerrod said going back to the viewport. Just then ten full sized Imperial star destroyers broke out of hyperspace.

"Sir ten—"

"I know what they are!" Jerjerrod snapped. "Did Admiral Piett send any notice of their coming?"

"No sir." an officer replied.

"Then somebody better tell me just what the hell is going on!"

"Incoming transmission sir!"

"Reroute it to the viewing screen."

Jerjerrod turned to his left, where a massive viewing screen was embedded in the wall, the same shape as the viewport. It was velvet black, but then there was a flash of static and an image of a man in a vice admirals uniform appeared.

"Hello Grand Moff Jerjerrod." The man said. "I am Vice Admiral Kratas."

"You're who?"

"Sir!" An alarmed officer cried. "An attack wing of TIE interceptors is headed for the Death Star—oh my god! The star destroyers are opening fire on out guard!"

Jerjerrod felt his eyes grow wide. Ten Imperial star destroyers were engaging his five star destroyer guard! This was an attack… by other Imperials.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing?!" Shouted Jerjerrod at Kratas.

"I am Vice Admiral Kratas, in service of Admiral Daala. I am here to kill you and the Death Star." Kratas said simply, and his image vanished.

"Sir, they're jamming our communications!"

Jerjerrod said nothing but ran back to the viewport, just in time to see one of his guard ships bridge towers explode, it began heading downwards in space, pieces of its hull exploding off as its still running engines propelled it. They were in trouble.

XxX

_Gorgon _Bridge

"Vice Admiral Kratas sir." An officer addressed

"Yes?" Kratas asked, hands clasped behind his back and gazing out the viewport as one of the Death Star's guard died. A smile came to his face, it was good to be back in action.

"They bypassed out communications jam."

"Already?"

"And they sent out a distress call."

"Excellent, by the time reinforcements arrive we'll already be at Coruscant, you don't think they knew our jam was to easy to bypass?"

"No sir."

"Excellent, everything is proceeding well." Kratas said pleased. "Get Task Leader on comm., audio only."

"Yes sir."

Kratas waited as the bridge speakers crackled with static, and then the voice of a helmeted TIE pilot filtered through.

"Yes Vice Admiral?"

"Report Task Leader."

"We've got the interceptors in the trench, we're starting our attack run. No sign of enemy fighters, bomber wings proceeding the destroy turbo lasers." The Task Leader replied.

"Expect enemy TIE's, it won't take them long to figure it out."

"Wait…." The leader paused, a feeling of slight dread went through Kratas, Jerjerrod was responding far to quickly. "Wait—damn it! Evasive maneuvers, stay on targe—"

But the leaders life was cut short, he screamed loudly into the comm, and everything turned to static. Kratas bowed his head solemnly for the leader. The mood ended and he spoke to the comm officer.

"Patch me in to the bomber leader, audio only."

"Yes sir."

There were a few more bursts of static and another voice filtered through, disturbingly similar to the Task Leaders voice.

"Bomber leader here sir."

"Report, what's happening there?" Kratas asked.

"The damn Moff sent out a couple waves of TIE fighters."

"Are they neutralized?"

"No, we got several of them but there's still a lot flying around." The bomber leader replied.

Kratas nodded, not that the leader could actually see him. "Damage assessment?"

"We lost a couple bombers and several Interceptors, all minor re—"

And then the transmission erupted with a burst of static. Kratas glanced quizzically at the comm officer who was busy trying to get the leader back online. In his peripheral vision Kratas caught something that made him gasp. The Death Star's eight separate lasers began to glow just as two more guard star destroyers went down. Kratas watched in horror as the lasers connected above the middle of the dish, sending green lightning out everywhere. And then another laser was born out of the focus point, it flew away from its makers and crashed into the _Hydra_ which was the only other one of Admiral Daala's original fleet that accompanied Kratas to the Death Star. The _Hydra _exploded into a brilliant cloud of superheated gases and fuel. Kratas tipped his hat to the fallen captain. Then he snapped back into reality.

"How the hell did they just do that?" Kratas asked alarmed.

"I don't know sir!" The tactical officer replied, equally as alarmed. "The laser is not supposed to be that accurate!"

Another guard ship exploded, one left."

"Send the order to pull back now!" Kratas cried. "We need to get out of range of that laser, let the TIE's handle it."

"Agreed sir." The tactical officer said with a high amount of anxiety choking up his voice.

XxX

On Death Star Command Deck

"Sir they're pulling back!" Cried an officer with a mixture of shock and happiness in his voice.

"Good," Jerjerrod replied. "Deal with those fighters."

"Yes sir."

And that's when it struck him, Jerjerrod. Shouldn't they know that the station had only one more shot? It took hours for the main reactor to build up enough power to release it in the blast, and they had released half of the power. But perhaps they did not know that, yet if they did why would they be pulling back. Most importantly why would they leave their fighters behind? Jerjerrod was forced to cease his pondering as an alarmed officer cried out.

"I am reading a very high proximity reading from the main reactor!"

"What?!" Jerjerrod cried running up to the officers screen. "There is no way for them to get through!"

"The fighters are pulling back!" Cried the tactical officer.

"By the Force…." Jerjerrod gasped.

"What is it sir?"

"They got it. They found a weakness. Evacuate immediately! Prepared my ship and—"

Those were the last words of Moff Jerjerrod as his great invincible Death Star exploded. What once was the ultimate power in the universe turned into nothing at all.

XxX

"Admiral." A tactical officer spoke.

"Yes, what is it?" Admiral Piett asked looking down at him from the bridge above the crew pit.

"I have several signals approaching, ready to exit hyperspace."

"Emperor Vader never notified me of anything."

"He doesn't command us anymore sir." The officer reminded. "He handed it over to Ravan."

"Right you are." Piett agreed. "Check the reports from Lord Ravan. Does it say anything about the arrival of more ships the guard Coruscant?"

"No sir." The tactical officer said.

Then it hit him. An attack, on Coruscant. Something was horribly and utterly wrong. The rebel alliance had been wiped out, there was no other force that could dare oppose the Empire. Piett found he was mistaken as nearly thirty Imperial class star destroyers, ten victory class, and three interdictors exited hyperspace. What hit him the most was the lead ship, a black mammoth super star destroyer. The Empire was at war again… with itself.

**_Ugh! I am not in my rhythm or something, this is just not up to my standards! I'll try doing better on the next one, I just don't feel like I am writing this well enough. _**


	19. Endgame, Part 1

_**I would like to answer one review here since it should be heard.**_

_**doreenthatshot: Basically the battle over Coruscant is the end. And it seems to be taking up like five chapters, plus another thing I have planned, lets just see we're going to see a few people kick ass. Even Leia.**_

Chapter 19: Endgame, Part 1

"What the hell is going on?" Piett cried alarmed, to no one in particular. He glanced at the black super star destroyer again. Just where did that come from? It had been his belief the _Executor_ was the only one of its class. Apparently he needed revision on that assessment.

"Not sure sir." An officer replied.

"Then get Emperor Vader on the comm immediately!"

"Yes sir!"

Piett turned around to face the transparent image of the black suited Vader as it materialized out of light particles on the bridge. Vader seemed in a boring mood, his voice showed it.

"Yes Admiral, what is it?" He asked with no interest.

"Milord I am sorry to disturb you, did you sanction the arrival of about thirty Imperial class star destroyers, ten victory class, three interdictors and a super star destroyer?" Piett asked. Vader didn't answer right away. He put a gloved hand on his helmet and ran it back as if to see if it were still there. Like he had just lost his very head.

"Excuse me Admiral. Did you just say another super star destroyer arrived?"

XxX

_Knight Hammer _Command Bridge

"Look at the imbeciles." Daala said proudly, her hands clasped behind her back and staring out of the bridge windows in typical admiral fashion. Mara rolled her eyes, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Yes of course they are imbeciles, now jam their communications she though irritated. "They're confused, now is the time."

She flipped her gaze down into the crew pit.

"Jam their communications."

"The fleet's?" The officer asked

"No, I want all ships to send a jamming signal. Jam _Coruscant's _communications." Daala replied.

"Yes admiral."

"Begin formation, inverted wedge if you please commander." Daala ordered the new young commander of the _Knight Hammer_.

"Yes Admiral." The commander replied, he switched on the ship-to-ship comm. "Begin inverted wedge formation!"

Daala had invented a new formation, she called it the inverted wedge. Thus "begin the inverted wedge formation". As most knows a wedge formation is a triangular formation, the tip of which was at the front with the other ships behind it, forming a triangular or V formation. The inverted wedge was the opposite, the point of the wedge flew at the back, the other ships forming in front of it to form somewhat of an A formation, without a line of ships connecting the two arms.

It was simple but affective Mara thought it was basically just boxing Coruscant's fleet in. But Mara was getting tired of standing there, pondering strategies and formations of space battle. She wanted some of the action, now. She was so damned tired of those traitorous Imperials that she was going to feel good, vaporizing a few of them.

"Alecto." She called, Alecto came to her from the viewports. "Did you bring my ship?"

"The Z-95? Of course, we brought everything we could from Cato Neimoidia."

"Excellent, I want to go out in it."

"A Z-95 Headhunter?!" Daala cried alarmed, overhearing Mara's desire to fly her old ship again in the middle of a battle, it felt like she hadn't been under its bubble canopy for a decade, in reality it was only… six months maybe. "Are you completely insane? It might hold its own against the standard TIE fighter but going out against Interceptors will get you blow up. I have three prototype new TIE fighters in the hanger, they're called X1's. You Kallisto and Alecto can take one and go out."

"Sweet." Kallisto said from a corner of the bridge. "I've always wanted to kick a little Imperial ass with one of their own fighters."

"Go then." Daala said. "Hanger D 150. I'll contact you when the smuggler strike force is ready to storm the palace."

Daala looked out of the viewport again at her fleet which had just completed its deadly wedge formation, like a spike collar of pointed star destroyers closing in on their brother's necks.

"Open fire."

XxX

A Minute Ago, _Executor _Bridge

"I repeat Lord Vader a fleet has arrived, headed by a super star destroyer!" Piett yelled at his Emperor, under normal circumstances Vader might have killed, or at least severely injured the admiral, but he ignored the tone of Piett.

"Sir!" An alarmed tactical officer cried. "They are closing in around us!"

"Send a distress call, call in reinforcements a obliterate them!" Vader ordered, alarmed as the tactical officer.

"Do it now!" Piett yelled at the man. He began to type on his console and than grimaced.

"They are jamming us."

"Bypass it damn it!"

"That could take _weeks_!"

"Corus… jammed!" Vader yelled, static disrupting the hologram and communication connection itself. "Kill… th… all!"

And then Vader's image was swallowed completely by static, it faded away into nothing.

Piett glanced out of the window, the enemy fleet had formed an inverted V shape around his fleet, they were surrounded and outnumbered by a dozen ships, Piett could already begin to see little gnats in huge waves spitting from the bottom of the star destroyers, those were of course TIE fighters. The super star destroyer was belching out the most, hundreds of thousands, thousands of millions. Enumerable amounts of fighters. May the Force help them now. To make matters worse the super star destroyer was about to engage the _Executor_.

"Shields to full power!" cried Piett. "Intensify the forward batteries and deflector shield, I want nothing getting through!"

And the black super star destroyer opened fire.

XxX

Vader's Throne Room

It had been all over the HoloNet, just moments ago. Something about a fleet closing in on the guard of Coruscant, then it flashed and disappeared from the screen. If indeed there was an attack the communications had been jammed, which in turn had disrupted HoloNet signals. Vader would know for sure. Ravan charged into his throne room, from the arch in the back that led to the private apartments, around the turbo lift, passed the two red robed statue like guards, over the bridge above the reactor pits and up the stairs to find Vader gazing out of the octagonal shaped window, the Imperial insignia embedded in the glass. Formed from steel bars. Vader was looking up at the darkening Coruscanti sky. Ravan followed his gaze, lances of light streaked across the sky, there was a battle in space.

"Father, what is going on?" Ravan asked.

"There is an attack my son." Vader replied, preferring to leave the details vague. "I want you to go up in an armored shuttle and assume command of the _Executor_."

Ravan bowed. "Right away." He spun on his heel and was about to leave when Vader spoke again.

"You do not feel it?" He asked.

"Feel what?"

"The presence in the Force." Vader replied.

"No, only mine, yours and Leia's."

"There is another."

"Who's? Not the Emperor's, he cant be back from the dead!"

"Of course not! Mara Jade's."

"Are you sure? I thought now she might be a freelance assassin, not a military commander."

"So did I, but now it seems we must revise that assessment. But I don't think she is commanding the fleet. I think she mobilized them and got an Admiral to do it for her."

"Why?"

"Clearly I underestimated her loyalty to Sidious. Now that he is dead I believe she wants to extract her revenge by taking Coruscant and killing us."

"Why?"

"She thinks we are traitors, and that the Empire should be given to someone else."

"Who?" Ravan asked. "Not her."

"No," Vader replied. "but someone other than me. Son, I know you had… feelings for her but you must be prepared to do what is necessary. Kill her, do not hesitate, show no mercy."

"Perhaps I can turn her."

"That is a fragile hope at best. Do it if you can, otherwise stab her."

"Yes father."

This time Ravan turned and ran out of the throne room. He had feelings for Mara before, yes. But did he have them now? Once his inevitable battle with her began he would know, and he would not kill her if he could help it. That is if she didn't kill him first.

**_Here we go again, I swear this is like not the best I can do. I promise the next one will be better. Since there's fighting action in it._**


	20. Endgame, Part 2

**_Three updates, final chapter 23 will be up soon! Be sure to read the note at the end of chapter 22. Thanks._**

Chapter 20: Endgame, Part 2

Ravan arrived on the bridge of the _Executor _as the carnage out in space heightened. Fighters flew after each other, exploding here and there into little flashes of light. The big capitol ships were firing upon one another, Ravan could see small mushroom cloud explosions being born on the hull of many star destroyers, and then leaving the universe forever. The enemy super star destroyer was directly facing the _Executor _and both ships were firing upon one another. It was only a matter of time before one's shields ceased to work.

"What is the situation admiral?" Ravan asked Piett who was standing over a tactical display of the battle on the bridge's holoprojector. Ravan walked straight through it to stand next to Piett, disrupting the particles of light that created the image, and then letting them reform. There were many, many ships, the _Executor _and other super star destroyer were the most noticeable though.

"We've lost a few ships milord, but aside from TIE fighters the enemy has lost none." Piett stated. "The other superstar destroyer is the major problem. The _Executor _is evenly matched with it, but its steadily depleting other ships shields with its turbo lasers."

"Are we not doing the same?"

"We do not have a clear shot to any other ship; the communication jam is preventing me from coordinating the attack. They've blocked every frequency except their own which is encrypted and requires a password. We are in trouble.

"I'll go out there, in the new experimental X1 fighter." Ravan said. "Maybe I can even the odds a little with the fighter situation."

"Good luck milord."

XxX

It certainly hadn't taken long, with communications and the HoloNet down most people put two and two together and came up with the idea Coruscant was under attack, and if there were still those unconvinced then the potshot from one of the capitol ships that entered Coruscant's atmosphere and disintegrated the top half of a building in the Imperial district certainly made them think twice. The sun was setting, and chaos was arising. Storm troopers were everywhere, holding every building, TIE fighters patrolled and clashed with enemy TIE's that dared to enter the atmosphere of the shining metropolis.

Vader stood at his huge, laser proof window, gazing up at the darkening sky. One could barely make out tiny dots, that were star destroyers, and two smudges in the twilight sky, small smudges, about as big as a thumbnail, that were the two super star destroyers. Green and red lighting flashed between them, blasts of raw laser energy capable of disintegrating twenty men and leaving nothing but the smell of charred flesh and black ash.

Vader sensed Leia's presence, she glided next to him, like her feet didn't even touch the ground. She wore flowing velvet black robes and her hair down over her shoulders, with a braid going down one side of her head. Her eye lids were painted with dark purple eye shadow, and her fingernails were red.

"Is the battle going well?" Leia asked. Her voice was calm and smooth, but her presence radiated with raw power in the Force.

"I don't know." Vader answered. "If my technicians would hurry up and filter out the static we could look at it from a technical readout. And as soon as Vader finished that sentence a technical image of the battle sprang up on his desk before the throne. Its diameter was as big as that of the throne's circular base. It displayed dozens of star destroyers and hundreds, maybe thousands of gnat sized TIE fighters. Two colossal super star destroyers were in the middle of it, guns blazing and fighting head on.

Vader and Leia both came closer to get a better look, Leia, being a political young woman once was not as familiar with battle as Vader was. As soon as the dark lord took a sweeping gaze of the battle the throne room's temperature dropped five degrees and his presence in the Force exploded with fire and laser.

"What's wrong?" Leia asked.

"We're in a position to lose." Vader replied icily. "Look,"

He ran a gloved finger over the inverted triangular line of star destroyers, with the other super at the helm. The triangle enclosed their guard and outnumbered them by ten, displayed in a small box to one side of the circular readout.

"They've surrounded us. They can simply pick the star destroyers off one by one."

"What do you mean, we can return fire, cant we?"

"Not in all places." Vader swept a gloved hand over the group of their ships. They were in a triangular formation as well, with ships on the outside and inside, the ones on the outside blocking the inside's fire path, and two star destroyers on either side of the_ Executor _were blocking its guns from firing. Their own formation was a death trap.

"What can we do?" Leia asked.

"There is nothing we can do. We simply must wait until all our defenses are depleted and die. The attackers will almost certainly wipe out our space force and when they do nothing will stop them from bombarding the planet."

XxX

The cockpit of the new prototype X1 fighter was quite large and comfortable in Mara's opinion. It had been her experience that standard TIE fighter cockpits were narrow and cramped, another good thing about this X1 was that it had life support. The standard TIE fighter did not, which is why Mara always saw the pilots running around in their suits. The history on that goes back a couple years. The Empire had wanted a space superiority fighter when rumors of the Rebel Alliance began to spread; they wanted a cheap fighter to mass produce as well as one that allowed maximum maneuverability. So the standard TIE fighter was born.

The TIE fighter sacrificed a hyperdrive, cargo bay, and life support systems for maximum maneuverability; however this did make them dependants on bases and star destroyers nearby. Mara started the X1's systems. She heard the engines rumble to life and roll in smoothly to a dull hum. Kallisto and Alecto were in an X1 on either side of her, they did the same.

Mara eased the throttle and yoke and the fighter glided gently out of the hanger and down. She swooped up and above the superstar destroyer.

"Kallisto, Alecto, do you copy?" Mara asked in her comm.

"Sort of." Alecto replied. "The line… full… static."

"Copy that," Mara said. "Keep off comms then."

"Copy…." Kallisto answered. "Now let's kick some…."

Mara twisted the controls one way, and her fighter followed. Familiarizing herself with the controls she managed to shoot down an enemy TIE fighter. Green laser blasts lanced out from the bottom of her cockpit bubble and clipped the TIE's wing, spinning extremely fast it crashed into the black hull of the _Knight Hammer_. The new targeting system needed work, constantly having to readjust it while dodging incoming fire for her life was more than a bit of a drag.

"Mara!" Alecto's voice yelled through her comm.

"I told you there's no point in talking—"

"Seven… incoming… way."

"What?" Mara asked. She didn't get a reply. Seven what? And she figured it out about five seconds after this thought passed through her head. There was seven enemy TIE's right on her tail. She swung to the left just as they shot, the green blasts missing her bended wings by fractions of an inch. One hit directly into the heavy armor of the ships tail, it shorted out a few circuits, melted wires, though that was no where near as bad of a problem as she was having now. She couldn't keep dodging forever; one of the pilots was bound to be smart enough to hit her.

Back when she had been training as a pilot for the Emperor her wonderful instructor (who had died a day after her training was complete due to drunk flying) had taught her one of his best tricks. It was not simple, and if not executed precisely deadly. Basically she had to pull up sharply, get her ship upside down, fly over the enemies, and come back down behind them. The problem was with pulling up that sharply she could get anything from mild whiplash to a broken neck. She didn't particularly care for either one or anything in between.

Another shot hit the back of the ship. Now, she had to do it now! She pulled the yoke back and her ship did what would be a U turn, but in the air. In the clear cockpit canopy above her, or maybe it was below her now, she could see the enemy ships pass under. She quickly shot the yoke down and her ship followed, when her viewport came in sight of the TIE's tails she stopped and immediately fired. A dozen shots escaped her ship before she let go of the fire button, one hit a TIE directly in the engine exhaust port, the rest lanced passed. Luckily that TIE was close enough to two others that when it exploded it literally melted their wings, sending them down in a fiery crash to smash into the super star destroyer's hull. The remaining four broke off, two went right, and the other two left. The ones that went right exploded. Alecto's X1 flew through their debris. Mara smiled and turned her ship left, shooting down the remaining two.

This was going to be fun.

Alecto stayed side by side with her, Kallisto was nowhere to be seen. Even on radar. Alecto and Mara zoomed through the dogfights, shooting down enemies as they went. The _Executor _loomed ahead of them, its turbo lasers blazing, firing at Daala's flagship.

"Should we… back?" Alecto asked, interrupted by static. Mara assumed the only reason they could talk at all was because they were right next to one another, close enough they might both need another paint job.

"No!" Mara shouted back.

"Going up against a… star destroyer… suicide!"

"We're not going up against it. I just want a little more action, enemies to shoot and stuff."

XxX

"Lord Ravan! Damn it Lord… come in!" Piett's voice yelled through the wire mesh speaker in Ravan's X1 fighter.

"I read you Piett, and never say damn it Lord Ravan or I'll cut you open like a… bantha waiting to be… cut open for meat and stuff."

Piett ignored Ravan's stupidity, mostly because he was dangerous no matter how dimwitted he could be sometimes, but he also did not have the time to start an argument that could potentially get his neck snapped. Ravan could not cut him open like a bantha because bantha's were so big and furry you needed an electric saw. But perhaps Ravan knew this and that is what he was planning to use. No! Piett had something important to say.

"I read two… X1 fighters… in on you!"

"X1 fighters? Are they friendly? We don't have anymore prototypes."

"Negative Ravan… are hostile… repeat they are hostile units!"

"Damn it! How could the enemy have made the exact same prototype ship we have?"

"They… have stolen them… us."

"Damn it, they're approaching me fast. Ravan out."

Two little blinking dots on the radar screen of Ravan's fighter showed two enemies closing in fast. Each taking one side of him. And then he sensed it.

Mara Jade.

She was in the fighter closing in on his right. He grabbed the controls of the X1 and pushed them to the right, intercepting Mara's path. They were going for a collision, neither he, nor she backed off and the other X1 decided to swoop away. At the last possible moment Ravan squeezed two shots of and pulled up, Mara did the same and pulled down. Both shots missed.

"_Nice shot farm boy."_ Mara's voice taunted in his head.

"_Nice to hear you again Mara."_ Ravan replied. _"Don't call me farm boy. I will kill you."_

"_Not if I kill you first kid."_

"_You have no heart, you know that."_

"_If you're making that assessment based on the brief time he shared in my quarters in the palace then you don't know me very well. I have a heart; it just doesn't ache for you."_

"_Then we have nothing left to talk about."_

"_Nope, guess not. Now if you'll ignore your pathetic crush for a while he have business to attended to."_

"_Bring it on red."_

Mara didn't reply, both the Emperor's son, and the Emperor's hand pulled up, and swooped back, their ships flying straight at each other upside down, they righted themselves, now only a few dozen feet away but it was Mara who pulled up and flew right over Ravan's fighter, so close that the tips of their wings made contact, producing an earsplitting screech that was left unheard in space.

Before Ravan could react Mara was on his tail, already opening fire. He dodged a few blasts and swooped down towards the _Executor's _blue-gray hull, the advanced TIE becoming a part of him, under his complete control, he pulled up at the last possible moment, seconds away from a horrible disaster. Skimming the surface of the giant ships he headed for the edge, Mara was hot on his tail.

"_What are you going to do farm boy? Fly over the edge and expect me to crash like a stupid TIE pilot, you don't know me very well."_

"_That's the second time you said that."_

"_Is it getting to you? Do you want to know me a little better?"_

"_Stop flirting and just follow me."_

"_I'm not flirting! I am trying to antagonize you."_

"_A lot of good that's doing."_

"_I am going to kill you!"_

Ravan didn't answer, he reached the edge of the ship and went down, Mara followed, and then he pulled up sharply and came back down behind Mara. He looked at his targeting computer, she was so close to the crosshairs, so close. Just an inch more… she was in! The targeting computer blinked fast, a hundred times a second telling him to shoot. He did, three times. Two of the laser bolts missed but the last grazed the bottom of her fighter, there was the smallest of explosions and a pop that went unheard, and a neon green liquid began to leak, mixing with a dark brown one. It was her fuel and radioactive sludge that created the laser blast.

"_Damn it!" _he heard her scream inside his head, he also thought she was probably cursing worse out loud. He looked at the targeting screen again; she was still in the crosshairs. He fired but the shots never hit their mark, Mara promptly stopped in space and Ravan zoomed past her. The oldest trick in the book! Then Mara was on his tail again and she didn't have a second's hesitation of firing. Three shots hit him, one grazed the right wing, the other hit one of the engines, and the last grazed the bottom, hitting the firing chamber of the fighter and causing it to explode. He could not fire again, thankfully Mara could not either. But the explosion in the firing chamber had hit life support. He assumed Mara had the same problem, though hers was probably not as bad.

He had to get to the hanger, he turned to the left and headed for it. Mara followed. In seconds he could see it in sight, he went for it and his ship entered the pressurized atmosphere of the bay. Mara's came seconds after him. He activated the repulsorlifts on his ship and touched down smoothly. He was not going to waste a fraction of a second and there was no way he was going to wait while his cockpit depressurized and the hatch opened. Reaching for his lightsaber he stuck it through the canopy and cut it off. As it came down at him he grabbed it with the Force and pushed, launching the hunk of metal up, and then down onto the floor. Saber still in hand he jumped out of the ship and onto the floor of the hanger. It seemed besides his and Mara's ships there was only a gamma class assault shuttle occupying the hanger.

He looked at Mara's fighter, there was no movement from inside, but he could sense her. Then hundreds of alarms went off in his head, she was about to do something—

Her cockpit window lit up with a flash of green light, followed by the shattering of the viewport and a green laser bolt flew straight at his chest, at the last second he raised his humming saber and deflected the bolt into the floor. Mara came out of the cockpit viewport next. She tossed a sniper rifle to the ground.

"Why the hell did you bring that?" Ravan asked.

"Got to come prepared." Mara replied swinging her hair out of her face and activating her own lightsaber.

"You were expecting to assassinate someone from your cockpit with a sniper rifle."

"I'm not suicidal, I brought it in case a needed to use it. I did. Now its useless. Seems we have to duke this out with a lightsaber fight."

"I've fought you before."

"Yeah, vibro blades in the Emperor's throne room during your training. I won."

"Ten times!"

"How many did you win?"

"Three."

"Odds are against you then." Mara said nodding her head. "Well you can make the first move."

"Okay." Ravan said. If there was one thing he had learned during his time with Mara it was that he could beat her if he went at it the right way. That wasn't just slash, slash, slash, block, slash, block, because after the first block Mara would stab him. He needed to put in a combination of hurtling objects at her with the Force. He had to fight dirty. Silently he thanked Vader for making him fight with Leia with only the Force. Despite the fact she had kicked his ass and nearly killed him.

Ravan used the Force to latch onto a particularly big piece of shattered transparisteel from Mara's cockpit viewport, shaped like a triangle. He launched it at her back. It stopped a foot from it and dropped to the floor.

"Tip for you oh great Sith Lord. Keep your thoughts to yourself."

"Was that out loud?" Ravan asked, using the Force to pick up another three shards.

"No, but it might as well have been. You think louder than a cockroach, except the cockroach is smarter."

"Really?" Ravan launched the three shards at her, they stopped the exact same length away from her back as the first. All dropped to the floor.

"Now how did you know about those?"

Mara looked up at the ceiling and shook her head. Her eye line came back to his.

"I _do _know how to use the Force." Mara replied. "Now are you going to try that again? Because you know I can stay here all night."

"Nope. I think you've proven that useless."

"Wow, I never knew you could actually learn something."

"Care to explain why you're so bitter towards me?"

"Haven't I always been bitter towards you?"

"No, sarcastic and angry but not bitter, sarcastic, and angry."

"I guess things change."

Ravan threw one last shard of transparisteel at her, again it stopped right in front of her back and fell to the floor.

"Some things don't." Ravan sighed.

"Oh yeah, like I was not going to sense another piece of transparisteel."

Ravan glanced at a small cargo container to the left of them. He hurled it at her. It stopped inches away from her head and flew at him. Extending his hand he stopped it as she had done, and then dropped it, it hit the ground inches away from his foot. How stupid that would have been if it had crushed that.

"Yeah, sensed that one too." Mara said.

"Sense this."

Ravan launched himself straight at her, saber held out in front, spinning in the air like a drill. Mara dodged out of the way and Ravan regained footing, turning to her their sabers met crackling and sending out flashes of white light from explosions of pure, raw laser.

"I did."

Ravan broke the saber lock spun and swung for her head, he missed, she ducked. He expected her to try a sweep kick. Instead she pulled her weapon back and trusted it at his chest. He moved out of the way, giving Mara a chance to stand and throw a crippling blow. He jumped and her sword swept dangerously under him. Coming down he raised his saber in a generally deadly overhead strike, Mara's weapon met his and somehow she brought both weapons down, her nearly lost his grip when he landed.

He was greeted by Mara's boot in his face, pain shot up his nose and he fell back. Mara glanced at her boot which had one large high heel on it.

"The wonders of high heels." Mara said to herself. Ravan touched his nose, and pulled his hand away, looking at it, it was covered in crimson blood. He felt his nose, it didn't seem to be broken. He had no time to dwell on it. Mara was right above him, flipping her saber and angling it down to stab—

He raised both his feet and smashed them into her side, she grunted and fell. He was up before she it the ground and when she did has saber was at her neck, so close she could practically smell the ozone emanating from it.

"Nice one farm boy. You won. Now kill me." Mara said, and from the reaction on Ravan's face he wasn't expecting it. Good.

"Kill you?"

"Yeah. Like you did the Emperor." Mara replied. "How did you kill the Emperor?"

How did he kill the Emperor? It was in the throne room… he…. Did that….

_Ravan inwardly smiled as he painfully gathered all the Force he could muster. Once the Emperor was within five feet of him he extended his sore arm, made a fist and pulled the air. The Emperor was snatched and came flying forward, flipping and flying over Ravan. His feet hit the window and smashed through, when it got to about his waist he stopped. His lower end outside and his upper end in, stuck in the window with a million points of glass jabbing into his flesh. _

_After a few moments Ravan stood up, hearing Vader's mechanical breathing as he ascended the steps. He walked over to the bleeding Emperor._

"_Finish it." He choked, sounding as though he had chained smoked death sticks for fifty years. He breathed in and winced. Ravan glanced down, a shard of glass had cleanly cut through his abdomen and sliced his lung. It was lying on the floor a few feet away, covered in blood. _

"_Kill him." Vader said._

_Ravan walked up to the Emperor, raised his blade… and brought it down, hard slicing cleanly through the back of the Emperor's neck. The head fell to the ground. The body went limp, stuck in the window, the air from the lungs escaped out of the open throat and the body slipped through the window entirely, falling away and into the night._

That's how it happened, wasn't it? And the next thing Ravan knew he was on the ground, Mara's saber at his neck.

"Never stop to think while you have weapon pointed at someone." She advised.

"Thanks, to bad I won't be around long enough to use that."

"Damn straight." Mara raised her lightsaber, she was going to behead him just like he had the Emperor. But this little window of time was all he needed. The cargo container he had tossed at her earlier. It came at her again and it made contact with her head. She flipped one way and fell to the ground, the container bounced next to her, slid and went away. Ravan stood up, breathing hard. That was close.

Mara grunted and began to rise, he was not taking a second chance. Ravan ran to the exit of the hanger bay, the blast doors closed behind him. Mara looked around, her head throbbing.

"That little ba—"

"_Depressurization sequence begun. Sixty seconds until depressurization." _A computer voice came online and said. Classic. It was always sixty seconds wasn't it? Mara glanced around for anything, a way out, something to clear her head and erase the pain. Her eyes made contact with something that would solve at least one of her problems.

"_Forty seconds" _

It was the gamma class assault shuttle; her fighter was in no shape to fly. She ran into the shuttle and primed the engines, they roared to life as the count hit ten. Nine, the ships repulsorlifts came online, eight it was off the ground, seven, it slowly inched forward, six it exited the magnetic field of the hanger, five, it was headed away, four, three, two, one. The hanger depressurized and the magnetic field shut down. Two wrecked fighters, boxes of cargo, and a sniper rifle were sucked into the cold dead space, and Mara was headed back to the _Knight Hammer _just as alive as Ravan was, though she had a much worse headache and felt a lot smarter.

XxX

The hanger blast doors pulled away, Ravan peered in eagerly, no sign of Mara of course. He looked out into space, he could pick out what was left of their fighters, and Mara's rifle, every cargo container but not Mara herself. There was also no assault shuttle to be found. Ravan kicked himself mentally. How stupid could he possibly be? Of course Mara would have taken the assault shuttle. No one was that idiotic, except him. He failed to kill Mara for the first time. He didn't want to, but if the chance ever presented itself again he swore silently to himself, making an unbreakable vow he would kill her, if he could, if he had to.

**_Okay I have said this before but this is my longest chapter, by two hundred words. Anyway merry Christmas to you all, yeah it's a bit early, only the fourth but hey whatever. For my present I would love to get over 45 reviews on this Unknown Son 2 tale, 45 is the number I have on the prequel along with about 10602 hits (for those of you that view the stats page) The Vision That Saved Her is second and this story is in 6th place. Only a few hundred hits away from Breaking Away which I think (man doesn't that sound bad?) is the sequel to The Vision That Saved Her. REVIEW, please. I know loads of you are reading it, it has 4200 something hits._**


	21. Endgame, Part 3

Chapter 21: Endgame, Part 3

Admiral Daala had contacted Mara the second she was close enough the _Knight Hammer _to get the communication. The encrypted line was only used for capitol ship to ship comm. It was time; the smugglers were mobilized in landing shuttles. They shot out of the hanger bay just as several star destroyers exited hyperspace, Kratas had come which meant the Death Star was destroyed, phase one was complete, phase two was halfway done.

Mara escorted the landing craft in a gamma class assault shuttle, with Alecto and Captain Zax along with her in the cockpit, as well as a team of six smuggler commandos, each armed with a big compact blaster rifle. Along with the shuttle a couple dozen bombers and twenty four TIE fighters escorted, the bombers were to clear the palace of any ground to air defenses, and the TIE's were to shoot down any enemy ships. The assault shuttle headed the convoy. Mara shot down a TIE fighter as it engaged them.

"What happened to Kallisto?" Mara asked.

"We still don't know." Alecto replied. "I don't like it, she and General Derevko have simply vanished."

"We even tried inverting the encrypted channel to talk to her and find her." Zax added. "We got nothing."

"I don't like it either." Mara said. "She can't have just disappeared."

"What if she was shot down?" Alecto suggested.

"I can sense her though, faintly. But there is so much going on I can't pinpoint it. Her and the general are somewhere out here."

"I do think she is a spy." Alecto said. Mara shot down another TIE. "And so is the general."

"Yeah, I think you're right. They're collaborating."

"You think they'll try and stop us from getting into the palace?"

"Two traitors, against two hundred highly trained smugglers, hardly. No I think Kallisto might try and stop me from killing Vader. If she does I'll gut her first."

Alecto did answer right away.

"What is it?" Mara asked.

"We've been partners in the smuggling business for years. I never would have guessed she was working for someone else."

"She _was _working for a rouge Imperial group for a while wasn't she?"

"Yes."

"Maybe that's how she came to work for the others."

"Maybe."

Mara shot down another TIE and flew through the wreckage; a dangerous thing to do especially of a piece of flak was to get caught in anything. Thankfully it didn't. They were approaching Coruscant now, the convoy was miles under the ongoing space battle. Daala had succeeded in destroying five star destroyers with the loss of one, and now it seemed to be a stale mate. She couldn't seem to kill anymore, and those on the opposite side were not able to kill any of hers. The convoy entered the atmosphere of Coruscant, just above the Imperial district; Mara could clearly see the palace. The old Chancellor's office it was. A mushroom shaped building new towers jutting out of it; one of them was Vader's throne room.

Mara kept the shuttle's altitude high about a thousand feet over the palace, it looked as big as her dinner plate. The group of landing craft kept the altitude as well, the guard of TIE's patrolling around them and the TIE bombers swooped down toward the palace, dropping low charged explosives just to clean the guns off the surface. Mara watched as they began dropping their payloads, covering the tops and sides and towers of the palace with mushroom cloud explosions and black smoke. So far no emergency response TIE fighters, maybe they would get lucky.

It seemed not, Mara had thought to soon, her radar read a flight wing of TIE's approaching from the north, directly ahead. They came into view, one flying in front, the other eleven divided on each of its sides slanting back into a wedge. The guard TIE's of the convoy shot to intercept, they tied off in individual dogfights, an enemy TIE shot down an ally. Mara took the chance and blasted it into fiery debris that fell down to the very streets of Coruscant where gangsters dealt in death sticks and the homeless walked in rags.

Mara glanced down at the bombers who were coming back up, getting close enough to speak as the encrypted channel was only for capitol ship to ship comm, you could still communicate though if you were in a fighter, you just had to be extremely close to the fighter whose pilot you wished to speak to, or you had to be orbiting a capitol ship's communications relay dish. The bomber leader began to circle Mara's shuttle.

"Task leader, report." Mara said into the comm.

"Guns have been… care of. Proceed with landing." He said. Amazingly there was only one short burst of static.

"Copy that, proceeding with landing." Mara said. She nodded to Alecto, Alecto nodded back and sent out the beacon to the rest of the convoy, which comprised of four landing shuttles, all easily fitted in a hanger. The palace had around fifty of them; they made a line all the way around the mid section of the mushroom shaped roof. Mara and the others headed down.

XxX

"Lord Vader," A man wearing a gray Imperial uniform addressed as he came into the throne room. Vader and Leia were both watching the battle in space; it had reached a stale mate. They knew what the guard was going to say before he even opened his mouth, they had seen the convoy of transports fly from the battle to land. "We read four transport shuttles in coming to the palace.

"It is of no consequence. It will be a force of one hundred and fifty, maybe two hundred. All storm troopers. You should have no problem dealing with them."

"Actually sir…" The man trailed off. "They seemed to be highly trained units, and not storm troopers. They've split into group and are securing the floor of the palace they landed on."

"Commando units damn it! Shut down every turbo lift in the palace when you get back to the security room. Did you create a new secure line that bypasses the jamming signal like I asked?"

"Yes we did milord. Unfortunately the signal is very strong. We assume it has to do with—"

"I don't care what it has to do with! I want to know if it will work!" Vader yelled, his mechanical breathing getting louder. "Will it?"

"Yes it should, but there will probably be some static—"

Vader didn't let the man finish his sentence; he hurled a comm at him, which he caught surprisingly fast. Good reflexes.

"Program the secure line into the comm." Vader snapped.

"Yes sir." The man said.

He began to quickly work on it, pressing buttons to adjust its frequency, Leia continued to watch the battle unfold and Vader stood there tapping his fingers on the desk. Finally the man stopped and handed to comm to Vader.

"Good work. See to it that the lifts are shut down."

"Yes sir."

Vader began to furiously enter a coded frequency into the comm. Leia turned her attention to him.

"Who are you—"

"Ravan." Vader snapped cutting her off. Her eyes flashed a dark red, not completely black like they would if she was indeed furious.

A burst of static emitted from the tiny comm and then Ravan's voice came through, interrupted with static.

"Ravan here… is contacting—"

"This is Vader son." Vader said into the comm. "A small army of commando units has invaded the palace. I need you down here, take your ship and land in the private hanger under my throne room, use the activation codes. Take the secret stairway, the turbo lifts will be shut down."

"That won't… them if they want to… you."

"I know, and I think only one person will be coming to face me, which will make it easier. I sense Mara Jade."

"Yeah…" Ravan trailed off.

"What?"

"I met her… the battle. We had a dogfight… landed in the… hanger and fought. I tried to depressurize it… she escaped."

"We'll kill her here."

"Copy that. Ravan out."

XxX

10 Minutes Ago

There were no ground entrances to the Imperial palace, no one important enough to be in it would ever walk on the ground. Therefore the main entrance was on the mid level of the palace, where all the landing platforms were. Each platform led into a hallway that went around the circumference of the palace, the main entrance was to the south and there were conveyor belts on the floor that went in the direction of the doorway. Thankfully Mara and the smugglers had landed on four different platforms, each no more than a thirty second walk to the entrance which had been locked down.

A band of white armored troopers had taken defensive positions in the hall which was lined with pillars, the turbo lifts had been shut down and security was going to cut off the power momentarily. Then it happened, the lights dimmed and faded, the troopers were left in darkness, they clutched their blasters nervously, flicking the thumb safety on and off, making sure they had good aim at the door, should a person come through.

Red emergency lights came online, they lit the hall up enough to the point that you could see where you were going, yet it was still dim. The red light refracted off the troopers armor, giving them all eerie red tinges. They kept their weapons trained on the door. There was a snap hiss from the other side that made them jump. Every one of them disengaged their safety and made their weapons ready to fire.

A spot in the middle of the closed door began to glow faintly, and then it became lighter and orange until finally the end of a blood red lightsaber poked through. One trooper was actually stupid enough to open fire, three shots flew out of his weapon, two hit the door causing tiny black marks, and the last hit the saber. The bolt bounced off and flew back at the one who fired it, hitting him in the middle of his eye visor. The trooper fell down dead, a smoking hole between his eyes.

The lightsaber began to move up, leaving behind a smoldering orange line. It made an arch; a half circle, the saber came down and connected it. Then it pulled out, the hole it had cut was no bigger than a head. The thought crossed more than one troopers mind as to how the raiding party would manage to get in, and most importantly who was leading them. The circular piece of metal flew off the door, like a soda bottle's lid after being shaken too much, it smashed into one of the troopers directly in the face. There was a sickening spat and crunch as his face crushed in and his bones stabbed his brain killing him quickly, he fell down with the circular piece of metal on him.

Two down and still the enemies hadn't even breached the palace. The storm troopers shot out of the hole immediately, hitting nothing but the window behind in the hallway. What were they planning—suddenly it became quiet clear.

"Take cover!" Cried one trooper. A blinking silver sphere flew into the hall, the troopers scrambled and ran to escape the thermal detonator's blast but it was too late. The detonator exploded, effectively killing every trooper in the hall and blowing out the door. It flew into the wall of the hallway outside, smashing through and sliding down the palace's domed roof. Mara Jade and Alecto walked it at the head of an army of smugglers, all dressed in hodge-podge armor and carrying a different weapon, all extremely deadly, they ranged from long ranged blaster rifles, and long ranged pistols to scatter blaster rifles and commando blasters. Alecto carried a long range blaster pistol in her hand, its barrel long and silver and its handle black. Mara carried in one hand her lightsaber, and in her other a compact and wicked looking blaster.

Two storm troopers rounded the right corner of the hall, Alecto raised her pistol and shot one neatly in the face before Mara could do anything. The other ran back behind the wall. They kept on walking, blasters raised. Mara grabbed a thermal detonator off the back of her belt, flicked the switch and threw it hard. It hit the end wall and bounced to the right. There was a scream and boom, a blast and a storm trooper's body flew to the left. They reached the end of the hall, Mara pressed her back to the right wall and Alecto to the left. Both peeked around simultaneously, Mara saw a storm trooper, actually twelve and shot one neatly in the chest, Alecto also had a visual on seven and shot two cleanly in the head before the rest opened fire. The bolts flew across the hall and went past ally troopers. Mara and Alecto backed away to let the smugglers take care of them.

"Alright listen!" Mara called when it was done. "Attack group A, with me we're going to the right, B with Alecto to the left spread out when you find new hallways. Take this entire floor. The palace's power has been turned off which locks us out of the upper floors but prevents them from sending reinforcements. Once the floor is ours take up posts, watch for anything suspicious and do anything you can, Alecto and I along with captain Zax and a few commandos will blow open the turbo lift shaft and climb up to find a kill the Emperor, another group will go down to the sub basement where the security systems are controlled and the power generator is. They will turn it back on and the rest of you will take the palace under Lieutenant Cazano's command. Move out."

Present Time

Another trooper fell with a smoking hole in his head. Alecto lowered her pistol just as another rounded the corner, this time Mara killed it. They had reached the turbo lift lobby. It was a square room in the center of the palace with five turbo lifts in the middle of it. Zax and a few smugglers were behind them, the rest were securing the floor, and the plan was proceeding well. As Mara and the rest entered the room she sensed something and stabbed her humming red blade to the right, killing a storm trooper. He fell down with a black hole in his abdomen.

"Anyone here able to blast open one of those turbo lifts?" Mara asked.

"You have a lightsaber, how come you can't just cut it open?" Asked a painfully, annoyingly familiar voice. Mara whirled around to face a masked smuggler.

"Take it off Nigel." She ordered. Nigel reached up, grabbed his mask and pulled it off. "Why the hell are you here?!"

"For the thrill of it man! I wanted to pump some thunder into my veins."

"Damn it Nigel!" Alecto yelled. "Why can't you just do your job and be my pilot?"

"Kallisto's." Nigel corrected.

Mara ran behind Nigel and grabbed the collar of his black suit, forcing him ahead toward the lift doors.

"You just volunteered to see how far down the lift goes light off a flare when you reach the sub basement, or just curse at me like a moisture farmer. I don't care either way."

"You have to get it open first and—"

Mara pushed him out of her way and stabbed her blade into the door, cutting it off. It fell down into the shaft, seconds passed and they heard nothing, five more seconds and there was a faint ping as it reached the bottom.

"That's a long way down, are you sure you want me to go down there? Won't the trip be sort of slow?"

"Yes, but I have ways of making it faster." Nigel took a look down the shaft. It was lighted on the sides with small glow panels, not even enough light for a maintenance crew to locate their mini welding torch on their belt.

"What are those ways?"

"When you see the sub basement yell up."

"Yell up wha—"

But Nigel didn't get to finish his sentence, Mara gave him a hard shove, he stumbled and fell right into the shaft, disappearing into darkness.

"You just killed my pilot!" Alecto cried over Nigel's echoing screams.

"He was such an annoying little man." Mara said. Nigel's screams began to fade.

"Yeah I guess he was, replaced easily." Alecto agreed. There was one final dull smack that echoed through the shaft and Nigel died.

Mara turned to the smugglers behind her.

"Shoot magnet lines up, three for Alecto, Zax, and myself, three for the three smugglers that will accompany us and set up rappel lines for the other three who are going to the sub basement to deactivate this lockdown."

The six smugglers nodded and began to get to work.

XxX

Vader had called for more red robed guards, his total now ten. Leia felt he might be getting a slight bit of paranoia, after all she doubted a strike team of more than six could even make it up the shaft. Both father and daughter stood gazing at the space battle hologram, the backup power generators provided full power to the throne room thankfully. Leia watched wave after wave of TIE fighters escape the bottom hull of the enemy super star destroyer, just as one was shot out of the air an alarm went off and a computer voice came online, issuing from Vader's desk from a speaker near the holoprojector.

"Alert, alert, organic life forms detected in turbo lift shaft six." It stated in a synthetically alarmed voice. "Switching to Palace schematics in three-D graphics now."

And the image of the battle disappeared, swallowed by a new one of the mushroom shaped palace. Leia looked to the mid floor, as did Vader since that was the only point of entry the attackers could have taken. Six human shaped red holograms were making their way up the turbo a turbo lift shaft that led directly up to Vader's tower, which was a small tower, stretching only about five dozen meters off the palace. There were also three headed down.

Vader glanced at the security advisor he had called up, a young quiet man with neatly trimmed brown hair, dressed in a gray Imperial uniform and cap.

"Do we have any options?"

"Comms in the palace are still working milord on a secure line. We do have one." The advisor replied.

"Elaborate."

"We can contact the security controllers in the sub basement. There is a manual unlocking mechanism to release any turbo lift. Since the palace is on lockdown each turbo lift has been called to the very top of its shaft, if a certain one were dropped it could easily kill anyone."

"Do it then." Vader snapped.

"Just like that?"

"Your predecessor made the mistake of questioning my orders, I hope you are not so idiotic enough to do the same." Vader said icily.

"Of course not milord, it's just that this is the only turbo lift that leads up to this room, it could take weeks to—"

"I have other ways out of this room you fool. I don't need a turbo lift." Vader hissed, his tone getting colder. "Drop the lift."

"Yes sir." The security advisor replied. He pulled out a comm, pressed several buttons, and entered a code. Speaking into it clearly he gave a person from the security room directions. Leia frowned as the lift dropped. This Mara Jade was to help her when she made her move against Vader which she was planning to do very soon, as soon as the siege of the planet itself began. When Vader would be most distracted, and most prone to an attack, it was inevitable that this enemy admiral would over come the guard. Even with an opposing admiral as decorated in war as Piett, he would lose and Coruscant would be under siege. With no way to contact help it would be over in a matter of hours and the Empire would belong to those who were loyal still to its former Emperor. Leia would be the new Empress, with her power in the Force she would bend everyone to her will and make this treacherous galaxy a safer place.

XxX

"What the hell is that?" Zax cried.

"What is what?" Alecto snapped as she pulled herself up on her cable.

"Don't you hear it?"

"I hear it." Mara said.

"Hear—"

"Shut up!" Mara barked she heard it and sensed it, there was something horribly wrong. Then she knew exactly what it was, she looked up to see the turbo lift car plummeting down the shaft, producing red hot sparks on the walls. It was getting closer, very close. Alecto, Zax and the three others were staring at it too. They were wide eyed and speechless. Mara had anticipated Vader would do something. But unless this palace's security lockdown protocol was totally customized then it was impossible.

Apparently not, and she did not have the time to ponder the situation. Firmly planting her feet on the shaft wall and securing her harness to the cord she extended both hands as the lift drew closer, less than fifty feet away. Calling on all the Force she could muster she pushed against it. The lift began to slow, coming down still until it was only a foot above them. It stopped.

"How did you do—" Alecto started, being cut off my Mara.

"Get my lightsaber and cut a way in." She grunted.

Alecto didn't wait to be told a second time, nor did she argue. Carefully she unclipped Mara's lightsaber from her belt and activated it, surprised to see how light it was in weight. She sliced a hole in the bottom of the lift, equally surprised at how easily it cut, like butter being carved with a steak knife. She and the others moved out of the way as the round piece of metal fell down into darkness.

"Get in." Mara grunted.

Neither Alecto nor Zax nor any of the other three argued, each climbed into the lift, careful to stand at the wall, so as not to fall out of the hole. With one hand Mara held the lift, suspended it in the Force, and with the other she climbed in and unclipped her harness. Bringing both hands back into control of the lift she pulled it up, Vader had just made this so much faster.

XxX

"The lift is going up father." Leia pointed out.

"I am well aware of that!" Vader snapped. He turned again to his advisor. "Options, now."

"We haven't any options. We must wait for them to come and kill them ourselves."

This wasn't what Vader wanted to hear. The man began to lift off the ground. Leia felt a ripple in the Force, which turned into a wave as the man flew across the throne room and into the reactor pit.

"They are here." Leia stated.

She and Vader both looked down at the lift, the ten red robed guards were crowing around the door, Force pikes pointed right at it. Leia felt it then, an instant to late, another wave. The lift door was popped out of its frame, it flew at the guard and hit all of them, and about five flipped off of the guardrails around the reactor pit and began a long descent to death. The other five fell on the floor, shots escaped the open lift door and hit each on in the head. Then the killers came out, headed by a woman dressed in black, with long black hair, a man next to her who looked somewhat important, three smugglers, and finally a red haired woman with a smile on her face. Vader glanced at the tactical screen, she hadn't let go of the lift yet.

"Hello _Lord _Vader." Mara said, putting an icy emphasis on the word Lord.

"Hello Mara Jade." Vader replied with an emotionless and dull tone.

"And you must be Vader's daughter, Leia."

"I am." Leia said, her tone matching Vader's. In a flash of motion she leaped into the air did a double front flip and landed next to Mara. "Allow me to help you destroy him."

"With pleasure." Mara said.

"What?! I don't—" Vader yelled in confusion, being cut off.

"It was never my intention to join you and become a Sith father," Leia cut in icily. "I merely wanted your training so I could turn against you when the time came, it has."

"Funny." Mara said. "You betrayed Sidious and now she has betrayed you."

"I find nothing funny—" Vader cut himself off this time and immediately a chair was flying at Leia's face. She had no time and was unprepared to do anything, the metal chair smacked her in the face, and it blew her back. It was in slow motion, almost, the way she was spread out over the rail, and then she slipped and fell over the edge descending into darkness.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Mara… tsked. "She would have been a great help."

Mara dropped the lift while activating her blood red blade.

"Drop your weapons Vader, and I might not kill you."

Alecto and the others aimed their weapons up at Vader.

"Put them down." Mara commanded.

"But—"

"Put them down. This is my fight." Mara said firmly. But added: "Fire if I need help."

Mara leaped up next to Vader, and the last duel began.

**_This chapter is very long, yes, but chapter 20 still remains the longest, it beat this one by around a hundred words. _**


	22. Another Betrayal

**_HUGE MEGA NOTE: AFTER YOU FINISH READING THIS CHAPTER PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR NOTE AT THE END OF IT. THAT IS ALL. SITH MASTER2019 OUT._**

Chapter 22: Another Betrayal

Vader opened the fight with a generally deadly move. He stabbed at Mara's gut, luckily, she had a good angle, her feet left the ground, and she flipped in the air and landed behind the dark lord. She spun with her blade outstretched to that she might cut him in half. Instead of meeting Vader's waist, her blade met Vader's own. The two sabers crackled a spat white lighting as they locked, casting eerie glowing light on their wielder's faces.

Mara grimaced as her strength and Vader's began to duel. His lightsaber was knocking hers away. "Damn those cyborg muscles." Mara thought as she attempted to push against it but it was futile. No matter how hard she tried, Vader had the upper hand in this field, slowly her saber inched one way with Vader's coaxing. The harder they came together the bigger the occasional explosions of raw laser and pure white energy. Mara could practically smell the ozone emanating off the two blades.

Alecto, Zax, and the three other smugglers stood just stood there, near the turbo lift and the broken chair that had smashed into Leia and sent her to an infernal death. Alecto stared intently at the duel, ready to shoot at a moments notice; she could fire within a fraction of a second and be deadly accurate. She had been a freelance assassin once, and a damn good one. More politicians, debtors, smugglers, criminals, powerful men and woman, and assorted other freelance assassins had died at her hand. She had racked up a body count so enumerable, she known as "Infinite". Those days were over now, but not forgotten, nor were the skills she once used in them.

Mara's strength gave out, her saber knocked out of the way so hard she had to let go with one hand. As her blade swung back, Vader raised his and swung at her head. Mara ducked at the saber slashed over, nearly singeing her fiery red hair. Turning she delivered a sweep kick that knocked Vader flat on his back, the new Emperor dropped his weapon, it rolled to the left and over the steps, clinking on each one all the way down. Mara angled her blood red blade down at his neck. The red glow cast a scarlet light of Vader's black helmet.

The sun had set on Coruscant, making the glow even brighter.

"I am going to enjoy gutting you." Mara hissed. "It'll be a good learning experience."

"How nice for you, except…"

"Except what?"

"You'll be dead before your blade can so much as scorch my armor."

Mara laughed. "Is that so?"

Perhaps it would be. Vader raised his right leg and shot it at Mara, his boot hit her in the groin and she toppled over onto the floor. Vader extended a gloved hand calling his weapon to him aware that the five smugglers had their weapons trained on him and would fire at any moment. Vader felt the saber hilt hit the palm of his glove and he wrapped his hand around it, activating it and angling it down at Mara's neck, casting a scarlet glow on her skin.

"It is so." Vader replied to her earlier question.

Mara smiled, shaking her head, trying to ignore the pain she felt on the lower and more private parts of her.

"I have to hand it to you Vader." Mara grunted. "That was good. I wasn't expecting it at—"

Mara didn't finish her sentence. She called her weapon to her, activated it and sliced an inch into Vader's right shoulder, the dark lord jumped back and grunted. Mara leaped to her feet and stabbed at his blinking control panel attached to his chest. With a sound that sounded somewhat like, an angry grunt and some sort of war cry, he parried so hard Mara nearly dropped her saber again.

She sensed Vader's saber coming at her head. That was to fast. She ducked. The saber glided over her head again, and again nearly singed her hair. Thinking for a split second on her next move she remembered the catwalks she had used jumped on once during an early sparring match with Ravan, she had got him in a prime position and knocked him off. If Vader was half as angry as her senses detected it might cloud his judgment just enough to see Mara's oncoming attack, and then she would win.

Putting a hand now behind her she flipped backwards and into the air, using the hand to provide the necessary lift. Her black boot smacked the part of the mask that could reference a chin if it were actually a real head. Mara flipped into the air, and Vader doubled back just a little, his head in the air.

Mara felt her feet hit the catwalk. She looked down at Vader with a sly smile on her face. The dark lord grunted again. Damn it, why was she so good? She had barely any training in the Force, just the initial training. There was absolutely no way she could be that fast and accurate with that amount of training. On the other hand, perhaps it was Vader that was the problem; perhaps his skill with a blade just wasn't what it used to be. Hopefully it was enough to disarm Mara that way he could kill her in what way seemed best to him, and most fun.

He took Mara's bait and propelled himself up at the catwalk, landing in front of her. Their deadly dance progressed with Vader taking the lead; his offense was quick and fast. The advantage of his style, Djem So, Mara like so many other Sith practiced the form Makashi, but she was sort of waving away from it now. Now she was more of a free stylist. It was a good thing too because she knew Makashi was an exquisite form and generally very deadly, but Djem So brought out the flaws of it. Djem So focused on speed, while Makashi focused on grace, accuracy, and generally a slower approach to things. Obviously, speed verses, grace and slow accurate attacks would win.

Mara wondered for a moment if Vader had always practiced Djem So. She thought of a young Anakin Skywalker as maybe more of an Ataru stylist. None of this thinking was getting her anywhere however, and when her butt bumped a guardrail, she realized she was at the edge of the catwalk. Vader threw himself into an overhead strike Mara raised her saber to parry and succeeded, but Vader's hit was so strong it knocked the weapon out of Mara's hands. Her saber deactivated in mid air and hit the ground, stopping and resting there.

Alecto and the others trained their weapons on Vader who seemed to be considering whether he should kill Mara. Attempt to deflect several dozen blaster bolts or whether he might toss a box that happened to be sitting on the catwalk, at them. However, he wasn't able to do either, as something so unconceivable took place. It happened so fast Mara really head the sound of breaking transparisteel as an advanced TIE X1 burst into the throne room from the giant hexagonal window and touched down, crushing Vader's chair. Vader, Mara both stared at it as the hatch opened, and a cloaked figure leapt out. It was Ravan.

"I told you to land in the private hanger." Vader snapped. "You crushed my chair!"

"There wasn't time." Ravan replied.

Alecto, Zax, and the three smugglers exchanged glances. Then they came to their senses and opened fire on Ravan.

He activated his lightsaber in a fraction of a second, deflecting the bolts and killing the three smugglers. He deflected another that flew and drilled a smoking hole in Zax's chest. Alecto screamed out in pain as another hit her in the knee, disabling her and knocking her flat. Using this distraction Mara made her move and in the form of a roundhouse kick to the helmet, knocked Vader off the catwalk. He hit the ground, unconscious, perhaps dead.

Mara leaped down, landing near him.

"We meet again." Ravan said.

"I knew we would." Mara replied, calling her lightsaber to her hand, but not activating it.

"I didn't think so after I locked you in that hanger and depressurized it."

"I'm a tough girl to kill." Mara shrugged.

"And to get along with." Ravan added.

"Yeah." Mara agreed.

Stealthily she latched onto a chair from the situation table behind her with the Force. When Ravan was about to speak the hurled it at him, he simply ducked and it went over his ship and out the broken window.

"That was pitiful."

"Anything is worth a try." Mara said. She then leapt at Ravan, raising her saber, feigning a slash high, but then going low. Ravan hopped up and the saber slid across the ground. Mara brought it back up again to launch another attack, but it failed as Ravan launched a blow of his own towards the head. Mara parried and the sabers locked, spitting white energy.

"It sucks that it turned out this way." Ravan said, with sadness in his voice that really was genuine. It almost… touched Mara (emotionally that is) almost. "I really did—"

Mara broke the lock and swiped at Ravan's neck, but he parried and the sabers locked again.

"Save it farm boy. This is how it is going to be." Mara spat.

Ravan broke the lock this time, ducked, and in a sweep kick knocked Mara on the ground. She lost grip on her saber and it rolled a few feet away. Ravan angled his crimson blade down at her neck.

"Why does it have to be this way?" Ravan asked, somewhat sadly.

"You killed the Emperor, left me with _nothing_! I trusted you and you stabbed my masters back you bastard! That's why it has to be this way!" Mara cried, blocking the sadness out of her own voice. She didn't even know why she felt it.

Ravan took a deep breath and raised his blade.

"I hate that it turned out this way." He said, flipping his lightsaber and angling it down at her chest to stab and kill. He plunged it down, but stopped. He stepped back and dropped his weapon. "I can't do this. I tried once, I can't again."

Mara shook her head. She slammed her feet into his boots tripping him, jumping up she put her foot on his neck.

"You should have killed me, because now I have to kill—"

However, an earsplitting boom interrupted Mara. She covered her ears as another one followed and took her foot off Ravan's neck. Ravan covered his own ears and three more booms issued in succession. Then it all went quiet.

"What the _hell_ was that?" Mara asked to no one, hardly able to hear herself. Ravan didn't reply, just looked up at the ceiling at her hearing began to return to normal. Then five booms that are more gigantic sounded echoing through the room and actually shattering Ravan's cockpit window. Mara looked up at the ceiling, there was a huge hole torn in it, she could see the starless night sky. Then two rappel lines tumbled down, stopping on the floor and hanging. In unison, Mara and Ravan called their lightsabers, allied for the moment against this unknown threat. Two figures began to slide down the lines; Mara knew who they both were before they reached the ground.

The two reached the floor; both were wearing helmets with tinted visors, but took then off at the same time and dropped them, revealing their identities, Kallisto and General Derevko.

It was surprising to see Kallisto dressed in a black combat suit when her normal color was red. Her hair tied up messily, it hung down in some places to about her neck, in others only to her earlobes. She smiled at Mara.

"Hello." She said.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Mara asked.

"A job."

Before Mara even had time to register what happened; her lightsaber hilt sliced in half, as well Ravan's. Kallisto's smart disc sang as it ripped through the air, and it flew back to her. She caught it by the S shaped handle in the middle and hooked it back onto her belt.

"A job that requires neither of you to have weapons in your possession."

"DAMN YOU!" Someone cried from behind Kallisto, a single shot issued from Alecto's pistol at drilled into the general's back. He fell down dead.

"NO!" Kallisto cried in fury. She spun and hurled her smart disc at Alecto, who was lying on the ground. It smashed into her stomach, ripping open a giant gash; it bounced back, past Kallisto and smacked Ravan in the head, drawing dark crimson blood that matted his blonde hair. He fell over unconscious and the smart disc flew back to Kallisto. She caught it and clipped it onto her belt.

She then bent down and checked the general's neck for a pulse. Mara looked from the unconscious Ravan to Kallisto; she didn't know what to do. She could shoot Ravan with the blaster pistol she had, or she could check his pulse, strangely, she wanted to do just that. On the other hand, she could shoot Kallisto. She shot at Kallisto, but Kallisto rolled out of the way and extended a gloved hand. Mara felt herself fly backwards and crash into the steps leading up to Vader's crushed throne and Ravan's fighter.

Her pistol flew out of her hand. Kallisto smiled.

"Who are you?" Mara asked, and coughed, desperately trying to catch her breath.

"I'm exactly who you think I am. My name is Kallisto and I betrayed you."

"I can see that." Mara retorted, still trying to catch her breath and desperately searching for a weapon. She couldn't pinpoint her pistol. She assumed it had flipped up and out of the broken window. "How do you know how to use the Force?"

"Isn't that the golden question? I might as well summarize my story since I am about to kill you. I was never working for Vader, I was working for the Emperor-- no, he is not alive-- and I was working with his spirit. Years ago, the Emperor found me and recruited me as one of his many personal hands. I still am and remain loyal to him as does a cult of Imperials that went rouge after Vader took over."

"What do you mean he has been gathering a cult if he is dead?"

"I am the Emperor's hand, he can use me as a vessel when it is necessary and he sends his orders through me. I've been recording your conversations with Daala for the past while to play to the Emperor when you are not around, since he can be busy. Even in death. I then give orders to his cult."

"That explains a lot, keep going."

"He assigned me to kill you recently, he wanted you to kill Vader and Ravan but it would seem my timing was bad and I have to kill all three of you."

"And…"

"And nothing, that's it, here I stand." Kallisto reached back, behind a huge rifle on her back and pulled out an incredibly shiny vibro blade from a hidden sheath. "I'm going to enjoy gutting you."

XxX

Ravan's eyes flew open, greeted by the sight of that woman, about to kill Mara. His first instinct was to protect her. He grabbed his useless saber hilt and threw it at her. It hit her in the head, making her back up a few steps. Ravan leaped up and kicked her in the face; she turned to the side and dropped her vibro blade, her hands on her bleeding nose. Ravan picked up her weapon and used it, plunging it into the side of her abdomen. It went in a little ways and hit a rib. Ravan reached out with the Force and used it to blow her away; she went flying with the blade still in her and it the guardrail near the reactor pit. Ravan helped Mara up.

"You… saved me." Mara said bewildered.

"Yeah… yeah I did." Ravan agreed, equally as bewildered. "Mara… since the day we met…"

Mara nodded. "I know. You don't need to say it. Thank you for saving me… and for letting her reveal the truth about the Emperor."

"Does this mean I'm off the hook and you won't kill me?" Ravan asked.

Mara actually smiled. "No, I won't kill you."

Suddenly, her head exploded with an earsplitting shriek, "_YOU FOOL! KILL HIM NOW OR HE WILL STAB YOU IN THE BACK!" _Cried the voice of the deceased former Emperor, Mara fell to the ground and held her head as he continued to scream.

"What's wrong, Mara!" Ravan cried as she went down. Then it hit him, he heard the voice too… and he knew where it was coming from. His eyes snapped to Kallisto whose eyes were glowing yellow.

"Hello young Skywalker." The Emperor's voice said through Kallisto's lips.

"That's how you've been driving her! You've been using the woman as a vessel and invading her mind, driving her insane."

"Yes, I have. And this is the final time. Very soon she will die… from my voice."

"What!" Ravan cried in alarm, looking at Mara who was withering on the floor. He felt her pain, it was as if someone was driving a lightsaber into her brain and it was not killing her. Nevertheless, it was killing her. He had to stop the Emperor, or the woman, or whoever it was. He charged at her, or him. The Emperor unsheathed a knife and threw it at Ravan. It hit him in the shoulder but it kept on coming. While he ran, he pulled the knife out of his shoulder and hurled it back at the woman. Her eyes turned wide, she opened her mouth and the Emperor cried out as the knife hit her in the left side of the chest, a ways down from the shoulder. She went limp and he felt the Emperor leave her. However, she was not dead.

Neither was Vader thankfully, she stood up slowly, his breathing sounded horrible. However, slowly it came back into rhythm, Ravan noted a golf ball sized dent on his helmet. He looked to Ravan, then to Kallisto and the other smugglers, and then to Mara. Ravan wiped a single a mixture of blood and sweat from his forehead, near the stop Kallisto's disc, or whatever it was had hit him.

Vader looked around some more, vaguely Ravan wondered if he had a concussion or something, he immediately dismissed the idea when Vader spoke.

"What in the hell happened here?" Vader asked.

"I won." Ravan replied simply.

"What about her?" Vader asked pointing to Mara.

"It seems it was…" Ravan pointed to Kallisto. "What's-her-name's fault that Mara wanted to kill us anyway, the Emperor was working through her and driving her mad."

"Are _you _mad? We cannot trust her Ravan I will not allow it! She knocked me off of that catwalk and would have killed me! I sensed it, she was so set on doing it that it is a miracle of the Force that you showed up when you did."

"We can trust her father."

"For now, but when inevitable day comes and she attempts to kill me again I will not hesitate." Vader vowed. He turned his attention to Mara. "I will kill you, no questions asked."

"Speaking of questions," Ravan said. "What happened to Leia? She might have been a help."

"Yeah to me." Mara huffed. "But she betrayed you both, and now I assume she's just broken down matter in a reactor pit."

Ravan nodded. "I knew it! I knew she didn't join us just too… join us! The day in the maze when she almost killed me, that's when I knew!"

"Then why didn't you voice your concerns to me?" Vader asked.

"You would have killed me if I did, you were crazy about the power she had." Ravan replied matter-of-factly, which was exactly the wrong tone to use with Vader at this particular moment. Several objects crushed into themselves and the room temperature dropped five degrees.

"Crazy about the power she had? You imbecile! You heard me talk to her about it I _feared _the power she had. The Force literally took control of her, or she took control of it but it was uncontrollable!"

"That doesn't make much sense." Mara put in.

"Stay out of this matter." Vader snapped. "It's a damn good thing she is dead Ravan. I would have killed her myself if she didn't betray us like that, she was getting far too powerful and soon I believe she wound be uncontrollable."

Suddenly they were all on their backs as the entire palace shook. For a moment, Mara thought it was one of Daala's ships; that then had won the battle and began bombardment of the planet. Nevertheless, it was far from that, near the reactor pit Mara felt a massive quake in the Force. Vader and Ravan felt it as well, and then a hideous creature came out of it, over the dead bodies of the smugglers, and the barely living ones of Kallisto and Alecto, (yes Mara could sense Alecto was alive). The creature was none other than Leia. She looked like she had silver molten to her on parts of her skin. Her velvet black robes torn, her hair was everywhere down her back and shoulders, her veins reached far out and her eyes were dark red. However, the detail of her skin, she looked almost like a cyborg but she covered in hard metal that had recently cooled.

Vader stood up as did Ravan and Mara.

"How are you alive?" Vader asked bewildered.

"I saved myself using the Force; the reactor pit is all molten metal. I fell into it and then healed my wounds but the metal still stuck to me, and I flew back up. Now I will kill you." Leia hissed in a voice that echoed… off nothing. It echoed in her mouth as her lips formed the words. Everything about her had an eerie air. "I assume you will help me Mara."

"Sorry, I'm no longer a pawn of the Emperor. And I'm not sure I could stomach fighting side by side with someone as hideous as you."

Leia's eyes darkened, the palace shook again. The duels that had finished had been nothing. A moment ago, Kallisto seemed like a demon, Leia was hell itself.

**_Thank you Darth Gladiator45 for everything you corrected in this chapter. It was really helpful, I can't read my own work, well I can but I am terrible at editing. I know enough to possibly get me by but this chapter required help, so again thank you Darth Gladiator45. REVIEW!! There is only one more chapter after this which I will leave you an evil cliffy on and I'll keep it open for a sequel, again I'm already developing a fic of Alias right now and I will post and finish it before Unknown Son 3 so keep me on your author alert lists._**


	23. Partial Disclosure

**_As promised I have a shocking revelation at the end of this chapter. A partial cliff hanger for the sequel. Now sit back and enjoy Zak's definitive vision of the second installment to the Unknown Son trilogy. _**

Chapter 23: Partial Disclosure

The Imperial district shook as though an earthquake was currently hitting it. The palace was as a bowl balanced on top of the eraser of a pencil, it leaned one way, then the other. The Force was a combination of everything; it was as though a hurricane, a tornado, an earthquake, a thunderstorm, a blizzard, and a volcano erupting all going on at the same time. Concentrated over one small valley that served as home to those who knew how to use the Force, this was caused by one person . . . Leia.

She had to stop, she was sucking in so much power her capacity for destruction was as unlimited as Alecto's body count (from the days she had been an assassin) was enumerable. Leia had jumped atop Ravan's advanced TIE fighter, which was slowly losing any parts that Leia could rip off and throw. Mara dodged a wing; Ravan the pilot's seat, Vader stopped the dashboard with the Force.

Leia hurled more parts, a solar panel, the yoke, and the entire fuel tank. She reduced the ship to the skeleton of its cockpit bubble, on which she stood. Vader took cover behind the turbo lift, Ravan and Mara under the platform that held Leia. Kallisto and Alecto still barely alive were miraculously shielded, Leia had tossed the entire left wing at Mara but it had missed and formed a barrier over Alecto and her former boss. Both critically wounded and Mara wanted neither to die. For one thing she did particularly like Alecto, and as for Kallisto she would rather kill her herself once she was rested and well enough to take it. That is if Leia didn't kill everyone first.

The catwalks began to unscrew themselves, the situation table snapped in two, the pillars broke off and began to swing like bats. Every object in the room that wasn't bolted to the floor (except for the wing shielding Alecto and Kallisto since it had wedged itself into the turbo lift shaft by ripping a gash in it) floated up the ceiling. Leia moved them so when the objects fell they would hit every inch of the throne room except the place she was standing. She dropped them and they hit the ground with an earsplitting bang, made up of metallic clinks and stone thuds.

Vader reached above him to stop a pillar from crushing him, he tossed it to the side with the Force. Mara and Ravan leaped out from under the platform, which collapsed and stopped a load of mechanical parts and half the situation table from falling on them. At that, Mara had an idea. She hurled the half of the table at Leia and discretely let a block of duracrete that had broken off from a pillar fall into her hand. Leia, as she had anticipated, stopped the table and crushed it, Mara threw the block hard and it glanced off Leia's left temple.

She lost her concentration and everything stopped shaking. Mara, Ravan, and Vader leapt up at her, Vader with his saber blazing, Mara with Kallisto's discarded shiny vibro blade and Ravan with one of Alecto's secret long vibro knifes. Vader was the first one Leia stopped but she could do no more. She hit him with a wave of Force and he flew into the wing that covered Alecto and Kallisto, slipping down it and bonking his head on the ground. He was rendered unconscious, again.

By this time, Mara and Ravan were furiously striking, hacking and slashing at Leia who had activated her own blood red blade and was parrying the blows. Luckily, vibro weapons could stand up to lightsabers.

Mara spun and slashed at Leia's feet, she jumped and Ravan stabbed her in the thigh. She screamed in pain and involuntarily let a wave of Force go knocking Mara and Ravan back, Mara tumbled off the last circular chunk of the platform and fell into the rubble, landing on a load of junk and narrowly missing a sharp twisted hunk of metal. Ravan did a kind of backwards summersault off the platform and grabbed on at the last second with one hand.

Leia's features were returning to normal but her eyes remained crimson and deadly, as did her intentions for him, at least the deadly part. Healing the wound in her thigh partially with the Force she summoned her scarlet blade, which she had dropped, and began making her way to the ledge. Ravan wanted a sword fight. Hell yeah! Bring it on!

When she reached the ledge and looked down, she was surprised to see Ravan not hanging there. Then she sensed him and turned around.

"Looking for me sis?" He asked. Before she could retort with a swipe at is head he balled up his fist and threw it into her face. She fell off the ledge, flipped once in the air and landed next to Mara, wiping a bloody nose she stood up. She began to tap into the Force again and summon her awesome and terrible power. Ravan would not give her the chance; he didn't think he could stop her again. Mara throwing the block of duracrete and actually hitting Leia was a miracle, not luck. In his experience there was no such thing as luck.

Ravan jumped at Leia and tackled her onto the pile of rubble; he held his vibro knife to her neck, ready to slit it at any possible moment. It sang in his hands, the vibrations traveled up his wrist to his muscle, edging him to push down and slice. Not yet.

"Why not end it now?" Leia hissed. "Kill me."

"No, I want to make sure you're looking into my eyes. You were never my sister, just some desperate woman who lost her father and wanted to kill me and my dad."

"Let's all cry now, that was so touching." Leia cried with sarcasm. "Kill me and end it before you open yourself to attack, emotionally and physically."

"Emotionally?"

"I can sense your… primitive feelings for Mara. I'll cut your limbs off and make you watch me kill her. Then I'll leave you to bleed and I'll restore the Republic!"

"That's what this is all about?"

"Of course! You think I would join you simply to just learn from you and then stab you and Vader in the back. No! That only gets rid of two monsters. It doesn't erase the government their former master created! A government so cruel and evil—"

"The Empire is noble and fair!"

"Listen to yourself! You moron, that is exactly what the Empire is _not_. Take the Death Star for instance; they would use it to destroy an entire planet that had a minority that would not pay taxes!" Leia cried. "Tell me, is that noble and fair."

"It's harsh, but fair. The Empire cannot tolerate disobedience."

"Why the hell am I even having this conversation with the man that has a blade to my neck? I'm striking up a political debate with my murderer of a brother, not to mention someone to naïve to see the facts. The Empire is a monster the Republic is a cure. Through it we can live in peace."

"I've heard enough." Ravan said raising the blade.

"And I've had enough." Leia replied. Ravan brought the blade down to strike but he flew off Leia instead and back onto the platform. Curse political debates! Leia leaped up and delivered a hard roundhouse kick to his face, a chunk of metal fell off her leg, revealing black and dead skin. Ravan stabbed the tip of his knife into it before Leia kicked it out of his hand. She raised her blade and flipped it twice. Then she brought it down at Ravan's chest. He closed his eyes and waited for it to sink in and his world to turn dark. However it never happened. Kallisto's smart disc zoomed through the air and hit the lightsaber out of Leia's hand. It didn't return to the person who had thrown it however, it fell to the ground. Leia looked down to see Mara jumping up, vibro blade outstretched in her hand.

Leia tapped into the Force and grabbed anything she could; the trap door that led down into a shaft that eventually turned into the training maze flew at Mara. She cut it in two with the vibro blade and landed in front of Leia. She plunged the humming sword into her stomach and twisted. Leia gulped, blood ran down from the edges of her mouth. Mara preformed a front snap kick that hit Leia's lower gut, she fell backwards and the sword slid out of her. She fell into the shaft and into darkness. She would die now, there was no power to kick on the anti gravity generator. Mara listened and heard a dull smack. It was over; the ultimate power in the Force was gone from the universe, Mara almost felt sorry about it for a moment. If things had been different perhaps, Leia could have revealed some secret to her great power. Alas, Mara did not dwell on what ifs. She learned at a very young age not to, what if she taken away from a mother and a father she barely knew or remembered. What if Palpatine hadn't forced her into this life of death and darkness, what if….

But that was too painful to dwell on. In most ways, the Emperor was a homicidal maniac whose teachings meant nothing, but in some ways, they did. _"Dwell only on the present, the past is a distraction; use it only for memories of anger to channel your power through. Dealing in what ifs will get you killed," _He once said, and it wasn't meaningless.

She would deal with the present now. From the ground, Ravan held up his hand, she took it to help him up as he rubbed a sore back.

"Damn that hurt." He said. "I guess I don't owe you now though. You just saved my life."

"You didn't owe me anything before farm boy." Mara replied.

"Do not flirt with my son around me." Vader yelled, standing up. "We're still at war. Mara you will call the attackers off immediately."

"I'm not sure the admiral will listen." Mara replied. "She was a real loyalist to the Emperor."

"_She_?" Vader asked. He knew very well that the Emperor would never promote a woman admiral. He was very prejudice about that and about aliens as well. The only exception that Vader knew of was that of Mara Jade as his hand (Kallisto too but he wasn't around to hear about it so technically he had not heard about it) and that was it, unless the Emperor had promoted an alien an admiral or something, but he doubted that.

"Yes her name is Admiral Daala."

"I've never heard of her." Vader said. "Perhaps she was made an admiral without the Emperor's knowledge; I know she is not listed in the rankings."

"It was Grand Moff Tarkin." Mara said. "He promoted her, I did some digging. I had a lot of free time waiting for an army to arrive."

"Fascinating," Vader replied sarcastically. "Call her off; make it clear she'll have a place in my navy as an admiral. She must have been damn good to coordinate this."

"Her and a man named Pellaeon." Mara put in.

"Pellaeon… Pellaeon. He was part of one of my fleets at one time. Interesting, it is of no consequence. Convince Daala or kill her. Whatever way you do it I don't care. Stop the attack and claim all of the ships for me."

"What's in it for me?"

"Life, a place in the Empire, further training in the ways of the Force, you can even become my hand if you wish. And the other super star destroyer is yours as well as Ravan's."

"Deal."

XxX

Thankfully, after an hour of persuasion Daala agreed to join with Vader. The Empire's civil war that lasted only a day was over. Vader threw a celebration on Coruscant and publicly executed select captains of ships in Daala's fleet who refused to join him, he promoted Daala as Admiral of the _Knight Hammer_, serving under Mara, Ravan decided he would rather use the _Executor_ as his capitol ship and have Piett serving under him, which seemed to put Piett's spirits down some. He of course thought Ravan could be quite dim at times.

Kallisto and Alecto were currently being treated in the palace's secure infirmary. Alecto would be allowed to serve with Mara and Kallisto would be charged as an enemy of the Empire and would possibly be executed or spend life in a Coruscanti prison. She would occupy a dark cell with zero human contact, a slow way to die.

It ended, the next day and life returned to normal. Reconstruction on the palace began as well. Mara found herself walking down the hall behind the throne room that she had once known so well. She went past her old quarters, Ravan walking with her. The two had been getting along well since… yesterday. With the minor exception of small and usually sarcastic verbal fights, Vader disapproved of all of it of course. He would just as soon Force choke Mara then let her socialize with his son. Especially since, he could sense Ravan's developing feelings for her.

Mara snapped back into reality as an Imperial doctor came up behind her. He was a particularly boring man with gray hair.

"Yes, what is it?" Mara asked.

"Kallisto is demanding to see you."

"Fine. Tell her I'll be there." Mara said crisply, not knowing exactly why she agreed to see that woman.

XxX

Mara walked into the infirmary of the palace with a frustrated air about her. She walked past Alecto's bed (she was in a medically induced coma since Kallisto's smart disc had punctured a lung) and to Kallisto's. The red head look up at her and smiled.

"I hoped you would come." She said.

"What do you want?" Mara spat.

"Have you ever wondered about your parents?"

"Excuse me. Did you just say my parents?"

"Do you have metal in your ears? Of course I said your parents!" Kallisto snapped.

"Do I wonder about them, you mean like what happened to them after I was taken? No, I don't dwell on what ifs. Besides they are dead."

"You couldn't be more wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"When you were taken… from your parents, your mother… she never wanted to let you go." Kallisto said her voice suddenly sad, and light. "And so the Emperor made her a deal, that by joining him and learning the ways of the Force she could watch over her daughter. She did and turned to the dark side like you, like… her daughter. But for whatever its worth know that she never stopped loving you—"

"Kallisto what are you saying!"

"My name is not Kallisto; it's an alias, an identity I fashioned for myself when I joined the Emperor. My name is Helena, but you must call me Kallisto."

"Helena…"

"Helena Jade."

"What did you say?" Mara asked, as though she had heard wrong.

"My name is Helena Jade, Mara. I am your mother."

"No." Mara said. "No, my mother is dead!"

"She is alive. I am her."

"You tried to kill me, my mother would—"

"I never wanted to; I told you the Emperor used me as a vessel! It had an effect on me, I was totally bound to his orders and I _had _to try to kill you. Ravan freed me when he threw the knife into me; it drove out the Emperor's soul. He was in me all along ever since Vader died. The woman you have known since Cato Neimoidia is partially me and partially Emperor Palpatine. I know it sounds strange—"

"You're insane! You are not my mother, even if the Emperor was controlling you all of that time…"

"Search your feelings Mara, it makes perfect sense. With the Emperor's control over me, there was nothing I could do. When the time came for his plan… my plan… our plan to carry out it was painful because my love for you has stayed with me. All those years I watched you grow up under the Emperor's tutelage I wanted to kill him. I wanted to gut him like a pig, but if I ever tried, I knew he would kill you and I couldn't let that happen. When he died I fled, I didn't know what to do. I established the smugglers camp on Cato Neimoidia for I knew smuggling. Then the Emperor's voice came to me and drove me mad, he told me that I must willingly let him use my body as a vessel and finally I gave in. My conscious blocked with his. However, I was still there. That's where the effect of me came in, that's why… that's why I was like… you know… like that. Half of that was me, the other the Emperor."

"Which… which parts were… you?"

"The sassiness, I've always been like that but I have never been cruel or bitter, or a cigarra smoker. That was the Emperor, and the little moments when you say perhaps… evil was him as well. The subtleties you saw were me. The rest was the Emperor."

"But… how come… how could it be you and him?"

"He had other matters to attend to, his subconscious controlled me, and it is so hard to explain my daughter."

"You can't be my mother."

"I am Mara… I am your mother. I will be tried as a traitor to the Empire and killed. I know you think it's all a lie, that I am not actually your mother but the twisted lunatic you saw as Kallisto. Kallisto is who I am now, but long ago I was Helena Jade and that part is still alive in me today Mara. I am your mother."

**_Thus Unknown Son 2 is concluded. Thanks again Darth Gladiator45 for beta reading. Keep me on your author alert list. The next fic I post will not be Unknown Son 3, I am going to do an Alias fan fiction which I am currently plotting. Unknown Son 3 will be after that. Keep watch though, there might be a one shot Unknown Son fic. Not sure. I'm open to suggestions for the third (yes I am going to have a minor to major Mara/Ravan relationship and some dark revelations about Mara and Kallisto or something as well as the true character of Kallisto coming out. What you read as stated was half Sidious half Kallisto. I have ideas about the real Kallisto, she'll be subtle, less sarcastic and stuff. Anyways that you for all the wonderful reviews. This is my longest story by the way 51000 something words._**


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